• English
  • Português
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
RioOnWatch
  • Home
    • Highlighted Stories
    • Understanding Rio
    • Reference Articles
  • Communities
    • Central
    • South Zone
    • North Zone
    • West Zone
    • Greater Rio
  • Policies
    • Public Security
    • Housing
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Health
    • Sanitation
  • Violations
    • Human Rights
    • Housing Rights
    • Police Violence
    • Government Neglect
  • Organizing
    • Community Organizing
    • Community Solution
    • Resistance
    • Sustainability
    • Participation
    • Protest
    • Culture
    • Responsible Tourism
  • Content Map
    • by Community Contributors
    • by Int’l Observers
    • Series
      • Anti-Racist Series
      • Energy Justice Series
    • Event Reports
    • Video Stories
    • Photo-Essays
    • Interviews/Profiles
    • Research & Analysis
    • Reviews
    • Listicles
    • Opinion
    • Reference
    • Podcasts
    • Translated Articles
  • About
    • Timeline
    • Our Reporting Policy
    • License
    • Feedback
  • For Journos
  • Donate
Latest News
  • [ September 30, 2026 ] Meet the Candidates for State and Federal Deputy from Rio’s Favelas by Community Contributors
  • [ September 29, 2026 ] Explainer on the Brazilian Senate: What Does a Senator Do and Why Does This Matter to Favelas? by Community Contributors
  • [ September 28, 2026 ] Riverbank Communities in Brazil’s Climate-Stricken Northeastern City of Recife Demand Respect and Answers #EvictionsWatch
  • [ September 22, 2026 ] Prazeres Favela Community Garden Reclaims Ancestral Knowledge and Celebrates ‘Our Oldest Technology: Putting a Seed in the Ground’ by Community Contributors
  • [ September 17, 2026 ] The ‘Cloud’ Has an Address: Data Centers Put Water, Electricity and Land at the Center of the Debate in Rio de Janeiro #LegacyWatch
HomeCivil Police

Civil Police

#UPPWatch

Violence Is Literally Sickening: A Mother’s Testimony Corroborates Research Showing That Police Violence and the Denial of the Right to Grieve Cause Physical and Mental Illness in Brazil

By Ramon Vellasco • Translation by Fred Hanson • October 15, 2024

Clique aqui para Português “There are days when we just want to cry, to stay in bed, and not speak to anyone because we don’t have our children to hug anymore.” — Gilsara Mendes, mother […]

#UPPWatch

Nearing the End of His Third Term, Rio de Janeiro’s Mayor Reignites Pre-Olympic Reputation of Forced Evictions in Maré’s Parque União, Amongst Daily Police Operations

By Carol Barbosa • Translation by Staff • September 13, 2024

Clique aqui para Português Imagine waking up on what seems like an ordinary morning, and suddenly being interrupted by the police saying: “Leave your home now, we’re tearing everything down!” Entire families with elders, children, […]

*Highlight

Three Years After Deadliest Massacre by Police in Rio de Janeiro History, Mothers of Jacarezinho Victims Continue Fighting for Justice

By Ramon Vellasco • Translation by Ujwala Murthy • May 23, 2024

Clique aqui para Português Three years have passed since the Jacarezinho Massacre, during which Rio de Janeiro’s Civil Police (PCERJ) killed 28 residents in the deadliest police operation in Rio state history, the pain still […]

*Highlight

Mirante Project: After Jacarezinho Massacre and Countless Others, New Investigative Methods Will Be Applied to Police Violence in Favelas

By Ramon Vellasco • Translation by Nathan Bergrin • April 30, 2024

Clique aqui para Português During the transition from 2023 to 2024, while most of Rio de Janeiro joyfully celebrated the world’s largest New Year’s Eve party, the Jacarezinho favela in the North Zone experienced a […]

#HousingWatch

Marielle Was Killed for Defending the Right to Housing [EDITORIAL]

By RioOnWatch Editorial • Translation by Ujwala Murthy • April 30, 2024

Clique aqui para Português On March 24, 2024, the Brazilian Federal Police (PF) launched an operation resulting in the arrests of three suspects behind the March 14, 2018 murder of Rio de Janeiro Councilwoman Marielle […]

Posts pagination

« 1 2 3 … 12 »

RioOnWatch’s anti-racist reporting series won silver in the 2022 inaugural The Anthem Awards, in the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion category among Best Local Awareness Programs.
A Project of

About

In May 2010, Catalytic Communities launched what was originally Rio Olympics Neighborhood Watch (hence RioOnWatch), a program to bring visibility to favela community voices in the lead-up to the 2016 Rio Olympics. This news site, RioOnWatch.org, grew into a much-needed and unique reference featuring favela perspectives on the urban transformation of Rio. With diverse and deeply interlinked articles by a mix of community reporters, resident opinions, solidarity reporters, international observers, and academic researchers, we work to engender a more accurate picture of favelas, their contributions to the city, and the potential of favela-led community development in Rio and around the world.

Contact & Support

contact@rioonwatch.org
WhatsApp +55.21.991.976.444
USA VOIP +1.301.637.7360

Volunteer | Donate

10 Years! Check Out Our Story:

Awards

Special Thanks

Fundação Heinrich Böll Brasil
World Habitat
Fideicomiso de la Tierra Caño Martín Peña
Pastoral de Favelas
Center for CLT Innovation
Global Land Alliance
Ecocity Builders
Mansueto Institute for Urban Innovation
SDSU Behner Stiefel Center
The Rio Times
Forum Grita Baixada
Beto Paixão Graphic Design
Architecture Museum of Vienna
Yale School of Architecture

  • Home
    • Highlighted Stories
    • Understanding Rio
    • Reference Articles
  • Communities
    • Central
    • South Zone
    • North Zone
    • West Zone
    • Greater Rio
  • Policies
    • Public Security
    • Housing
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Health
    • Sanitation
  • Violations
    • Human Rights
    • Housing Rights
    • Police Violence
    • Government Neglect
  • Organizing
    • Community Organizing
    • Community Solution
    • Resistance
    • Sustainability
    • Participation
    • Protest
    • Culture
    • Responsible Tourism
  • Content Map
    • by Community Contributors
    • by Int’l Observers
    • Series
      • Anti-Racist Series
      • Energy Justice Series
    • Event Reports
    • Video Stories
    • Photo-Essays
    • Interviews/Profiles
    • Research & Analysis
    • Reviews
    • Listicles
    • Opinion
    • Reference
    • Podcasts
    • Translated Articles
  • About
    • Timeline
    • Our Reporting Policy
    • License
    • Feedback
  • For Journos
  • Donate

© 2026 Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International