{"id":74328,"date":"2023-03-26T17:36:04","date_gmt":"2023-03-26T20:36:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/?p=74328"},"modified":"2023-05-23T09:23:34","modified_gmt":"2023-05-23T12:23:34","slug":"sos-residents-of-trendy-vidigal-favela-are-once-again-threatened-with-forced-evictions-environmental-racism-and-state-neglect-in-the-face-of-extreme-weather-images","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/?p=74328","title":{"rendered":"SOS! Residents of ‘Trendy’ Vidigal Favela Once Again Threatened with Forced Evictions: Environmental Racism and State Neglect in the Face of Extreme Weather Events [IMAGES]"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"A<\/a>
A view from the Jaqueira area in Vidigal. Photo: Igor Albuquerque<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Clique aqui para Portugu\u00eas<\/i><\/span><\/em><\/span><\/i><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

On February 6, 2019<\/a>, a storm fell over Rio de Janeiro in the late afternoon and lasted until dawn. According to the final report<\/a> following the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry (CPI) on Floods<\/span>, carried out by the City Council<\/a>, this extreme weather event hit the city with 162mm of rainfall, which represented 31% more than the average forecasted for that entire month, with winds o<\/span>ver 100km\/h, and causing the deaths of three people citywide.<\/span><\/p>\n

Residents of the Jaqueira area in Vidigal<\/a>\u2014a favela known abroad for being a ‘trendy’ target of gentrifiers in the pre-Olympic years and located near the elite neighborhood of Leblon, in the city’s South Zone<\/a>\u2014were woken up by landslides and rock falls, floodwaters invading their homes, the noise of destruction and cries for help from neighbors. Despair and solidarity coexisted on the morning of February 7, 2019 and over the following days. Families had lost everything or almost everything\u2014the fruits of their entire lives\u2019 work. One resident died after being carried off by the current formed by rainwater coming down the hill. There was no electricity or water in most of the favela. <\/span>Avenida Niemeyer<\/span><\/a>, the only access to Vidigal, had to be closed off<\/a>: a landslide hit a passing bus<\/a> and two passengers were killed. Chaos reigned in the days following the storm.<\/span><\/p>\n

Residents gathered to rescue neighbors<\/a>, try to recover belongings, and clear the community\u2019s alleyways. A line of people went down the hill with bags full of mud and trash on their backs, a trip they had to make several times. A tangle of phone charger cables formed in front of stores with generators. <\/span>Everyone wanted to let their relatives and friends know what was happening.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Current<\/a>
Current situation of a home hit by the 2019 storm. Photo: Igor Albuquerque<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Public figures from Vidigal like <\/span>Roberta Rodrigues<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>Jonathan Azevedo<\/span><\/a> lent their voices to call for help. A women’s group, <\/span>Favela no Feminino<\/span><\/a>, supported residents, cooked and served meals, listed necessities, and organized and distributed donations at the Vidigal Residents\u2019 Association (<\/span>AMVV<\/span><\/a>). The <\/span>Vidigal na Social<\/span><\/a> NGO also organized donations of clothes and food to the affected families. At that moment, resident unity was crucial.<\/span><\/p>\n

Four years after the storm, this spirit of collectivity is being renewed as City Hall intends to remove 64 families from Jaqueira. A <\/span>report from Rio’s geological department, Geo-Rio<\/a>, claims that the provisional or definitive eviction of residents is necessary in order to carry out construction in the area. Due to <\/span>unfounded claims of risk by Geo-Rio<\/span><\/a> in the past, some residents state that the eviction is arbitrary, that containment works could be conducted to keep residents in their current location, and that the City has offered <\/span>inadequate compensation<\/span><\/a> for evictions.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI was born in Vidigal. My father carried water in bamboo from the fountain to Rua Tr\u00eas. When I got married, I bought a little wooden shack here [in Jaqueira]. I was out at work in Provid\u00eancia when I was told my home was marked for demolition. I flew back as fast as I could. I said to the man from the City: \u2018You have no idea how much I\u2019ve spent on this place. You have no idea how long I\u2019ve lived here: 44 years!\u2019 They offered me R$160,000 (US$35,000). That\u2019s not worth what I\u2019ve spent and the time that I\u2019ve lived here. My house is big; it has a backyard. If it were only for me, I might think about it; but what about my daughters, granddaughters, and great-granddaughter? They all live here. They all have their own little houses here.\u201d \u2014 Dona Deise, 65, Jaqueira resident<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"Ms.<\/a>
Deise requests that containment projects be carried out without the removal of residents. The t-shirt reads “We want works and not the demolition of Jaqueira Vidigal.” Photo: B\u00e1rbara Nascimento<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Area<\/a>
Area demarcated for removal by Geo-Rio in 2019. Source: Geo-Rio<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

According to M\u00e1rcio Farias, president of AMVV, immediately following the disaster, all properties in the area were registered, including those that did not have previous documentation with the association. Mazola, as he is known, describes how this information was forwarded to the Social Assistance Reference Center (<\/span>CRAS<\/span><\/a>) and Municipal Housing Secretariat (<\/span>SMH<\/span><\/a>). Even so, the first mapping presented by City Hall considered the removal of homes located along the entire extension of Rua Regina de Carvalho in Jaqueira, up to the area known as Pedra do Seu V\u00edtor. The AMVV, local representatives, and the Catholic Church’s Favelas Pastoral Committee<\/a> questioned this demarcation.<\/span><\/p>\n

In November 2019, 15 houses located on the Regina de Carvalho and Major Toja Martinez streets received notification they were to be demolished. Seven of these were actually tore down. The demolition of other houses was embargoed through a case led by the Public Defenders’ Housing Nucleus (<\/span>NUTH<\/span><\/a>). One of the seven houses demolished belonged to Ant\u00f4nio Paiva.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCity workers were constantly here taking measurements and doing inspections in the affected houses, but they never shared any information. It was common for us to hand over house keys to them at these times. One day, I was out, accompanying my son’s surgery\u2026 [when City Hall officials] asked my partner for the key and they knocked my house down with a sledgehammer. When she understood what was happening, our things were already on the street, in any which way, and the house had been razed.\u201d\u2014 Ant\u00f4nio Paiva, 60, Jaqueira resident<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"Paiva<\/a>
Paiva in front of what is left of his house: just part of the wall and the gate. Photo: Igor Albuquerque<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cWe filed a lawsuit because, back in 2019, residents received notice of their houses\u2019 demolition. We requested that any demolition process be halted so that we could understand the reason for demolition: whether it was due to the risk to the houses or to carry out construction works. What is the reason for these demolitions? The lawsuit filed in Court contains very little information.\u201d \u2014 Paloma Lamego, Public Defender\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

According to AMVV, City Hall <\/span>presented yet another eviction plan for the Jaqueira area while still under the administration of former mayor Marcelo Crivella<\/a>. This time, the houses around the sewage canal would be removed and those affected would receive social rent in the amount of R$400 (US$76) per month until the City erected a building in Vidigal to resettle them safely.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Beginning<\/a>
Beginning of the sewage canal located in Jaqueira. Sign reads “Education. Respect. Don’t throw trash in the ditch.” Photo: Igor Albuquerque<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

City Hall claimed that the Jaqueira region forms a <\/span>thalweg<\/span><\/a>, that is, the lowest point of a valley through which rain or river waters pass, and thus it is uninhabitable. The injunction suspending the demolitions were thus overturned by the Court of Justice.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy house leans against the rock. So, it’s the first to receive the impact of the rain. It would be best if they did containment works that would bring security to the homes. If the containment work is done, I’ll stay; if not, I want to leave the house, but stay in Vidigal.\u201d \u2014 Fernando Carvalho, 45, Jaqueira resident<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"House<\/a>
House in Jaqueira built next to the rock face. Photo: Igor Albuquerque<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The building promised by City Hall, however, has not been built. The previous administration stated that it did not find land in Vidigal at a price that the city was willing to pay: prices were too high. [It is worth remembering that in the pre-Olympic period, the City of Rio spent <\/span>over R$300 million<\/span><\/a> (almost US$60 million) on the removal and relocation of 700 families in a single community, Vila Aut\u00f3dromo.] Residents see themselves left to their own devices, out of options, anxious and worried as the situation remains unsolved.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAre they going to kick people out of here and pay R$11,000 (US$2,100)? With R$11,000 you can\u2019t even buy the pillar [of the house]. If they can prove that there’s a risk, I’ll leave. But I need them to pay me an honest price for my house. They came to evaluate our houses after four years. Our homes were in perfect condition. They said not to redo anything, I couldn\u2019t do any work. Everything was abandoned. So they want to give us an estimate now?\u201d \u2014 Jaqueira resident who asked not to be identified<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"Current<\/a>
Current situation of a home affected by the 2019 rain. Photo: Igor Albuquerque<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Due to the heavy rain that fell this February<\/a> <\/span>in Rio de Janeiro<\/span> and the <\/span>heaviest rainfall recorded in Brazilian history<\/span><\/a>, which <\/span>devastated the northern coast of S\u00e3o Paulo<\/span> that month, the Municipal Housing Secretary <\/span>Patrick Corr\u00eaa<\/span><\/a> approached the Public Defenders’ Office to arrange a meeting to discuss the construction works in Jaqueira. The Public Defenders then communicated that residents did not agree with the amounts of compensation offered or with measurements City Hall had taken of their homes. Some units had been measured by drones, without an internal inspection of the properties or considering all floors built. Many houses have several families on different floors and this was not accounted for either.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThey came here and only looked at my home, but there are five homes here. My kids live above me. When I get the money, I’ll have to share it with my children. I won\u2019t have anything left. That\u2019s not fair. I’ve lived here for many years and I can prove it. What they want is this beautiful view of the sea. I\u2019ve been very anxious. I’ve never been so anxious. This situation is killing me, destroying my health.\u201d \u2014 Jane Rodrigues, Jaqueira resident for 40 years<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"Jane<\/a>
Jane Rodrigues on her rooftop terrace in Jaqueira. Photo: Igor Albuquerque<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

At residents’ request, on Monday March 20, the Public Defenders’ Office made a technical visit to the houses in Jaqueira that are under threat to correct the measurements taken by the City.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"NUTH<\/a>
NUTH technical team inspects and measures homes in Jaqueira. Photo: Igor Albuquerque<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The lack of transparency in the process is concerning. Documents from Geo-Rio’s public bids for containment works in Vidigal have revealed that City Hall is planning to build a large wall in the Jaqueira area. This containment project should have begun in August 2022 but, so far, nothing has happened. The Public Defenders\u2019 Office’s technical team analyzed Geo-Rio\u2019s study, but does not have any information on whether the project has been modified since then. For this reason, the public defenders have requested that all alterations be documented in the lawsuit.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a hearing on March 23 that the courts ordered precisely so that the City can explain what is happening. Where is this project at? What we know, from outside the official lawsuit because we searched for the information ourselves, is that there is a containment project authorized by Geo-Rio for the entire area of Jaqueira. In fact, the Municipal Housing Secretariat had made a list with compensation values to be paid. This information was obtained because we dug deeper. It isn\u2019t in the official documents.\u201d \u2014 Paloma Lamego, public defender<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"Current<\/a>
Current mapping of houses to be evicted in the Jaqueira area. Source: Geo-Rio<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In his last meeting with the Public Defenders\u2019 Office, Secretary Patrick Corr\u00eaa said he would go to Vidigal personally to make individual agreements with residents. However, Corr\u00eaa, who was a student at local theater troupe <\/span>N\u00f3s do Morro<\/span><\/a> from 2002 to 2004, sought out the theater group’s management at the beginning of the month to facilitate his contact with Jaqueira residents. The group’s leaders were taken aback, as the request falls outside their area of expertise. It is worth noting that there is an institution charged with representing residents in Vidigal, the AMVV, with whom this request would have been appropriate.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Rocks<\/a>
Rocks that rolled down the hill in 2019 remain where they fell. Photo: Igor Albuquerque<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There are various doubts and uncertainties among residents of Jaqueira and local leaders, including the exact number of houses that City Hall intends to remove and what the fate of these families will be.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf a report is presented that contradicts the need for relocation, I am ready to fight for the residents’ right to stay. But I\u2019m not an expert on the matter. We\u2019re talking about human lives. In Rocinha, the containment work is being carried out with residents still living there. I don\u2019t know if the same is possible here in Vidigal. The report that was presented to me requires evictions: there are loose rocks threatening to fall at any moment, with or without rain. We are also concerned about the compensation plan. Only the houses that are still standing are included in the list of compensations. Some houses have already been demolished, but they\u2019re nowhere in the Housing Secretariat\u2019s records.\u201d \u2014 M\u00e1rcio Farias, AMVV president\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"Ant\u00f4nio<\/a>
Ant\u00f4nio Paiva and the NUTH technical team inspect and measure the ruins of his house in Jaqueira, demolished without notice by the City in 2019. Photo: Igor Albuquerque<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Residents of Vidigal, not only those of Jaqueira, demand that City Hall inform them of the project being developed for that area. <\/span>Vidigal fought against an attempted forced eviction 45 years ago<\/a>, based on a purported landslide risk in an area known as 314. However, it was discovered that the eviction was planned so that luxury homes could later be built on the site. Jaqueira has one of the most stunning views of Rio de Janeiro. Residents are fearful that the current aim is, once again, <\/span>real estate speculation<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>gentrification<\/span><\/a> and not actually about saving lives.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"View<\/a>
View of Ipanema Beach and Arpoador from Jane Rodrigues\u2019 rooftop terrace in Jacqueira. Photo: Igor Albuquerque<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Municipal Housing Secretariat and Secretary Patrick Correa were contacted for this report for answers regarding the issues presented by the residents of Jaqueira but we received no response at the time of writing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

More photos of government neglect and environmental racism in Jaqueira, Vidigal:<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
\"Homes<\/a>
Homes close to the rocks in the area demarcated for forced eviction in Jaqueira, upper part of Vigidal. Photo: Igor Albuquerque<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Ant\u00f4nio<\/a>
Ant\u00f4nio Paiva observes what is left of his house in Jaqueira, Vidigal, demolished without notice by City Hall in 2019. Photo: Igor Albuquerque<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Current<\/a>
Current situation of a house hit by the 2019 storm, seen from inside another house hit by the same extreme weather event. Photo: Igor Albuquerque<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Houses<\/a>
Houses very close to the rock in Jaqueira, threatened by rockfalls. Photo: Igor Albuquerque<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Current<\/a>
Current situation of a house affected by rockfalls caused by the 2019 storm. Photo: Igor Albuquerque<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Ant\u00f4nio<\/a>
Ant\u00f4nio Paiva pokes around what was once his home in Jaqueira, Vidigal, demolished without notice by the City in 2019. Photo: Igor Albuquerque<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"NUTH\u2019s<\/a>
NUTH\u2019s technical team inspects and measures the ruins of his house in Jaqueira, demolished without notice by the City in 2019. Photo: Igor Albuquerque<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Residents<\/a>
Residents keep the area close to the sewage canal clean in fear of the consequences of future rains. Graffiti reads “This is not a garbage dump.” Photo: Igor Albuquerque<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Phrase<\/a>
Phrase \u2018Jesus loves you: Only a real risk tests the reality of faith,\u2019 written in Fernando Carvalho\u2019s house by his daughter after the 2019 rains. Photo: Igor Albuquerque<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Building<\/a>
Building next to the rock in the Jaqueira area. Photo: Igor Albuquerque<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Building<\/a>
Building next to the rock in the Jaqueira area, threatened with removal. Photo: Igor Albuquerque<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Houses<\/a>
Houses in the area demarcated to be evicted in Jaqueira, upper part of Vidigal. Photo: Igor Albuquerque<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"In<\/a>
In the upper part of Vidigal, in Jaqueira, residents just want to continue to live in their homes safely and, for that, they expect the authorities to break the pattern of neglect and environmental racism that has historically marked the favelas\u2019 struggle for the right to housing and public policies that guarantee the right to the favela. Photo: Igor Albuquerque<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n

About the author: B\u00e1rbara Nascimento was born and raised in Vidigal. A Portuguese teacher in the Rio de Janeiro city and state public school systems, she holds an undergraduate degree in Modern Languages (UFRJ: 2002) and a Master\u2019s in Social Memory (UNIRIO: 2019). She founded and directs the Vidigal Nucleus of Memories, a range of initiatives that prepares archives and keeps records that aim to support the formation of a collective memory in Vidigal.<\/i><\/p>\n

\n

Support\u00a0<\/b>RioOnWatch<\/i><\/b>\u2019s tireless, critical and cutting-edge hyperlocal journalism, online community organizing meetings, and direct support to favelas\u00a0<\/b>by clicking here.<\/a><\/b><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Clique aqui para Portugu\u00eas On February 6, 2019, a storm fell over Rio de Janeiro in the late afternoon and lasted until dawn. According to the final report following the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry (CPI) […]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":245,"featured_media":74330,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"template-full.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1293,1288,1328,3477,335,336],"tags":[472,3406,226,3597,272,2436,991,1497,78,11,65,563,182,26,3598,151,2225,618,2545,69,2413,13,10,2600,158,156,2665,134,363],"writer":[3535],"translator":[3592,3595],"illustrator":[],"photographer":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-74328","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-evictionswatch","8":"category-highlight","9":"category-by-community-contributors","10":"category-climate-justice","11":"category-policies","12":"category-violations","13":"tag-climate-change","14":"tag-climate-justice","15":"tag-consequences-of-eviction-health","16":"tag-eco-anxiety","17":"tag-mayor-eduardo-paes","18":"tag-environmental-justice","19":"tag-eviction-tactics-lost-belongings","20":"tag-eviction-tactics-misinformation","21":"tag-floods","22":"tag-forced-evictions","23":"tag-gentrification","24":"tag-geo-rio","25":"tag-government-neglect","26":"tag-housing-rights","27":"tag-jaqueira","28":"tag-landslide-risk","29":"tag-marcelo-crivella","30":"tag-neighborhood-association","31":"tag-pastoral-das-favelas","32":"tag-public-defenders","33":"tag-public-defenders-housing-nucleus-nuth","34":"tag-rain","35":"tag-real-estate-speculation","36":"tag-right-to-the-favela","37":"tag-smh","38":"tag-south-zone","39":"tag-unity","40":"tag-zero-compensation","41":"tag-vidigal","42":"writer-barbara-nascimento","43":"translator-cristina-fornara","44":"translator-nicholas-miller"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74328","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/245"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=74328"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74328\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/74330"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=74328"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=74328"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=74328"},{"taxonomy":"writer","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fwriter&post=74328"},{"taxonomy":"translator","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftranslator&post=74328"},{"taxonomy":"illustrator","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fillustrator&post=74328"},{"taxonomy":"photographer","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fphotographer&post=74328"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}