{"id":82899,"date":"2026-03-16T14:04:29","date_gmt":"2026-03-16T17:04:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/?p=82899"},"modified":"2026-03-23T11:50:21","modified_gmt":"2026-03-23T14:50:21","slug":"rio-mayor-eduardo-paes-sells-off-iconic-green-spaces-reference","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/?p=82899","title":{"rendered":"Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes Sells Off Iconic Green Spaces [REFERENCE]"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_82900\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-82900\" style=\"width: 1920px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Eduardo-Paes-and-Taina-de-Paula-Photo-Instagram-Reproduction-O-Eco.jpg\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-82900 size-full\" title=\"Mayor Eduardo Paes and Secretary of the Environment and Climate Tain\u00e1 de Paula. Photo: Eduardo Paes Instagram Profile\/Reproduction\" src=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Eduardo-Paes-and-Taina-de-Paula-Photo-Instagram-Reproduction-O-Eco.jpg\" alt=\"Mayor Eduardo Paes and Secretary of the Environment and Climate Tain\u00e1 de Paula. Photo: Eduardo Paes Instagram Profile\/Reproduction\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1285\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Eduardo-Paes-and-Taina-de-Paula-Photo-Instagram-Reproduction-O-Eco.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Eduardo-Paes-and-Taina-de-Paula-Photo-Instagram-Reproduction-O-Eco-620x415.jpg 620w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Eduardo-Paes-and-Taina-de-Paula-Photo-Instagram-Reproduction-O-Eco-940x629.jpg 940w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Eduardo-Paes-and-Taina-de-Paula-Photo-Instagram-Reproduction-O-Eco-768x514.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Eduardo-Paes-and-Taina-de-Paula-Photo-Instagram-Reproduction-O-Eco-1536x1028.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-82900\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mayor Eduardo Paes and Secretary of the Environment and Climate Tain\u00e1 de Paula. Photo: Eduardo Paes Instagram Profile\/Reproduction<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/4daCsVd\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong><em>Clique aqui para Portugu\u00eas<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-23766\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/PT-e1439583827971.png\" width=\"20\" height=\"20\" \/><\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>For the original article by Andr\u00e9 Ilha, published in O Eco on March 9, click <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/4daCsVd\">here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Upon taking office for <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/4aRweIL\">his fourth term<\/a> as Rio de Janeiro\u2019s mayor [in January 2025], <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/2IsNrLj\">Eduardo Paes<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/temporealrj.com\/paes-anuncia-equipe-economica-para-4o-mandato-e-promete-choque-de-capitalismo-no-rio\/#:~:text=Paes%20anuncia%20equipe%20econ%C3%B4mica%20para,Pol%C3%ADtica\">announced<\/a> a team that would bring a \u201cshock of capitalism\u201d to the city. Now, as he prepares to step down to <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/412JPH4\">run for state governor<\/a>, we know he was not bluffing.<\/p>\n<p>And we could not have imagined that his Secretary of the Environment and Climate, <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/34LjQtU\">Tain\u00e1 de Paula<\/a>, appointed by the Workers\u2019 Party (PT), would become complicit in an ultraliberal project designed to help construction companies and other business interests advance into the city\u2019s public green spaces, both inside and outside conservation units, for their own benefit. All of this has unfolded under the pretext of \u201cmodernization\u201d or \u201crevitalization\u201d of areas deliberately left neglected, making it easier to convince the unwary of the supposed inefficiency of public authorities\u2014an inefficiency that, the narrative claims, only the private sector\u2019s supposedly redemptive competence could remedy.<\/p>\n<h3>Rio as One Huge, Endless Party<\/h3>\n<p>There is certainly nothing new about construction companies working behind the scenes in a bid to occupy green areas with new building projects. Neither is it surprising that businesspeople from a wide range of sectors offer \u201cgifts\u201d in the form of large-scale projects that undermine these areas\u2019 original purpose as spaces for biodiversity preservation, contemplation of nature and refuge from the tensions of big-city life, as envisioned by <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/4s5FPRX\">John Muir<\/a>, the creator of the concept of national parks. But what is happening in Rio de Janeiro today is on an entirely different scale\u2014enough to leave even the most battle-hardened environmental defenders perplexed by the sheer number of simultaneous <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/47w7sKU\">abuses on display<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The goal seems to be to turn all of Rio de Janeiro into one giant, nonstop party, with celebrations, concerts, events, rides and installations everywhere, all to benefit the businesses of a favored few. This policy stands in stark contrast to what is happening in major cities such as Berlin, Madrid and Seoul, to name just a few, which are <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3NltFVZ\">renaturalizing areas<\/a> once transformed by human intervention. In practice, though not in its empty rhetoric, it ignores the fact that Rio de Janeiro is a city whose greatest charm, and one of its main economic assets, as the Secretary herself acknowledges, is precisely its exuberant nature. Eduardo Paes has not only allowed, but actively encouraged, the massive occupation of the city\u2019s remaining open spaces and parts of <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/4uhn3sq\">Rio\u2019s beaches by buildings<\/a>, installations and countless events, thereby simultaneously undermining the landscape, biodiversity and residents\u2019 quality of life in pursuit of a frantic influx of visitors. As a result, the <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/47F0JPG\">mayor reaps strong economic indicators<\/a>, but fails in <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/RioRains2026\">his basic duty to safeguard residents\u2019 well-being<\/a>, including emotionally.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, numerous studies have shown the importance of green spaces, including urban ones, for people\u2019s physical and mental health. A <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/4szJdEK\">March 2025 article<\/a> in <em>Jornal da USP<\/em> noted that contact with greenery led to a \u201creduction in anxiety, stress and irritability, while improvements in cardiovascular health stood out among the physiological effects. Another aspect frequently mentioned in the studies were the restorative effects that green spaces can provide, such as helping people recover from mental fatigue and improving mood.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_82939\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-82939\" style=\"width: 2234px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Globo-Reporter-Banho-de-Floresta.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-82939 size-full\" title=\"Translation of O Globo newspaper excerpt: &quot;Japanese scientists say 'forest bathing' can help prevent disease. Japan certifies forests as treatment sites in an effort to use preventive medicine to reduce public health spending.&quot; The importance of green spaces, including urban ones, for people\u2019s well-being is unquestionable, but not in the way the mayor seems to envision it, in a permanent fairground atmosphere. Had the Sugarloaf zip line been approved, visitors to the Sugarloaf Mountain Natural Monument would have had to endure up to 1,000 people screaming hysterically overhead all day, every day. Photo: Screenshot\/Internet\" src=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Globo-Reporter-Banho-de-Floresta.png\" alt=\"Translation of O Globo newspaper excerpt: &quot;Japanese scientists say 'forest bathing' can help prevent disease. Japan certifies forests as treatment sites in an effort to use preventive medicine to reduce public health spending.&quot; The importance of green spaces, including urban ones, for people\u2019s well-being is unquestionable, but not in the way the mayor seems to envision it, in a permanent fairground atmosphere. Had the Sugarloaf zip line been approved, visitors to the Sugarloaf Mountain Natural Monument would have had to endure up to 1,000 people screaming hysterically overhead all day, every day. Photo: Screenshot\/Internet\" width=\"2234\" height=\"996\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Globo-Reporter-Banho-de-Floresta.png 2234w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Globo-Reporter-Banho-de-Floresta-620x276.png 620w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Globo-Reporter-Banho-de-Floresta-1411x629.png 1411w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Globo-Reporter-Banho-de-Floresta-768x342.png 768w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Globo-Reporter-Banho-de-Floresta-1536x685.png 1536w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Globo-Reporter-Banho-de-Floresta-2048x913.png 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2234px) 100vw, 2234px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-82939\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Translation of <em>O Globo<\/em> newspaper <a href=\"https:\/\/g1.globo.com\/globo-reporter\/noticia\/2013\/10\/cientistas-japoneses-afirmam-que-banho-de-floresta-combate-doencas.html\">excerpt<\/a>: &#8220;Japanese scientists say &#8216;forest bathing&#8217; can help prevent disease. Japan certifies forests as treatment sites in an effort to use preventive medicine to reduce public health spending.&#8221; The importance of green spaces, including urban ones, for people\u2019s well-being is unquestionable, but not in the way the mayor seems to envision it, in a permanent fairground atmosphere. Had the Sugarloaf zip line been approved, visitors to the Sugarloaf Mountain Natural Monument would have had to endure up to 1,000 people screaming hysterically overhead all day, every day. Photo: Screenshot\/Internet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>This assault on residents\u2019 space and tranquility reaches its peak in <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/31rmPn4\">Copacabana<\/a>. The beach, already overrun by the excesses of the kiosks and countless volleyball nets, goalposts, beach vendors and the like, has now effectively lost a large stretch of sand to a gigantic stage and its support area, used for increasingly frequent <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/4ux8XTS\">mega concerts<\/a>. The sidewalks, already partly occupied by the palisade of apartment building railings, have now also been taken over by tables, chairs, merchandise and signs, like an enormous open-air bazaar, while in the narrow strip that remains, pedestrians must dodge bicycles and now motorcycles as well, in a state of total traffic disorder. At night, during what should be residents\u2019 time to rest, the din from bars and restaurants continues into the early hours of the morning and is the <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/475tF3b\">leading complaint reported to the city\u2019s hotline<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>While all this buzz may be great fun for those who come to spend a few days in Rio and for those who profit from visitors, it is deeply draining for those who actually live in the city. Leaving home has become an ordeal, an exhausting exercise in survival, and little remains of the world-famous, tree-lined, tranquil Rio de Janeiro. This may help explain why <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/4rrAwLK\">75% of Rio residents would move away<\/a> if they could, according to a February 2025 survey by the <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/4sHSHhh\">Instituto Cidades Sustent\u00e1veis<\/a>. In 2011, that figure was just 27%.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_82904\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-82904\" style=\"width: 1920px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/A-stretch-of-Copacabana-Beach-is-almost-permanently-occupied-by-a-stage-for-mega-concerts.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-82904 size-full\" title=\"A stretch of Copacabana Beach is almost permanently occupied by a giant stage for mega-concerts. Above, audience members wait in line to enter the concert area for Lady Gaga\u2019s show in Copacabana in May 2025. Photo: Tomaz Silva\/Ag\u00eancia Brasil\" src=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/A-stretch-of-Copacabana-Beach-is-almost-permanently-occupied-by-a-stage-for-mega-concerts.jpg\" alt=\"A stretch of Copacabana Beach is almost permanently occupied by a giant stage for mega-concerts. Above, audience members wait in line to enter the concert area for Lady Gaga\u2019s show in Copacabana in May 2025. Photo: Tomaz Silva\/Ag\u00eancia Brasil\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/A-stretch-of-Copacabana-Beach-is-almost-permanently-occupied-by-a-stage-for-mega-concerts.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/A-stretch-of-Copacabana-Beach-is-almost-permanently-occupied-by-a-stage-for-mega-concerts-620x413.jpg 620w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/A-stretch-of-Copacabana-Beach-is-almost-permanently-occupied-by-a-stage-for-mega-concerts-944x629.jpg 944w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/A-stretch-of-Copacabana-Beach-is-almost-permanently-occupied-by-a-stage-for-mega-concerts-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/A-stretch-of-Copacabana-Beach-is-almost-permanently-occupied-by-a-stage-for-mega-concerts-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-82904\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A stretch of Copacabana beach is almost permanently occupied by a giant stage for mega-concerts. Above, audience members wait in line to enter the concert area for Lady Gaga\u2019s show in Copacabana in May 2025. Photo: Tomaz Silva\/<em>Ag\u00eancia Brasil<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3>The Dismantling of the City\u2019s Environmental Structure<\/h3>\n<p>The onslaught against Rio\u2019s greenery began with the weakening of the Municipal Secretariat of Environment and Climate (<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3bbcv89\">SMAC<\/a>), created by the late <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/4bnpykn\">Alfredo Sirkis<\/a> in 1994, and, by extension, the <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/4szal6A\">Parks and Gardens Foundation<\/a>. Both institutions now have <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/47w7sKU\">drastically reduced and demoralized permanent staff<\/a>. The city has not held a civil service entrance exam in many years and the few, insufficient hires have been made through political appointments, meaning they are, on average, less likely to displease their superiors.<\/p>\n<p>Under Eduardo Paes 3.0 and 4.0, SMAC underwent numerous structural changes that undermined its proper management, and in early 2021 suffered the biggest blow of all: environmental licensing was stripped from the agency and transferred to the Secretariat for Economic Development, Innovation and Simplification (SMDEIS, now <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/4brZeFV\">SMDU<\/a>), just as urban licensing had been removed from the Secretariat of Urbanism and sent to the same destination. Even though some technical staff from both agencies were transferred along with the responsibility, license applications are now reviewed in an entirely pro-business environment\u2014the electric chair where the promised \u201cshock of capitalism\u201d is administered. The clearest proof of how misguided the measure was is the large number of dubious licenses that have been approved, some <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3N3FSid\">not merely questionable but blatantly irregular<\/a>, and several already challenged in court.<\/p>\n<p>SMAC\u2019s weakening is not merely quantitative, but also qualitative. Although SMAC still has excellent technical staff, holdovers from better times, they are often ignored, and crucial decisions are made behind closed doors in the secretary\u2019s office by people with no real knowledge of the matters at hand. One striking example was Tain\u00e1 de Paula\u2019s January 2024 announcement that she would combat the effects of climate change on the city by reforesting its hillsides with <a href=\"https:\/\/reut.rs\/4rpklP7\">seeds dropped by French drones<\/a>. Anyone with any understanding of how difficult it is to reforest steep slopes overrun by <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/47vKpAQ\">Guinea grass<\/a> and other invasive grasses knows <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/47w7sKU\">what a sham this was<\/a>. Had the secretary\u2019s proposal actually been put into practice, it would have amounted to a \u201cseedicide,\u201d but since, as expected, not a single tree sprouted from the publicity stunt, it at least earned her favorable media coverage and good <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/4uwarOn\">Instagram posts<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_82941\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-82941\" style=\"width: 1830px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Mayor-Eduardo-Paes-and-Environment-and-Climate-Secretary-Taina-de-Paula.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-82941 size-full\" title=\"Mayor Eduardo Paes and Environment and Climate Secretary Tain\u00e1 de Paula during a demonstration of the seed-sowing drone for reforestation at Mirante do Pedr\u00e3o in Botafogo. Photo: Fernando Fraz\u00e3o\/Ag\u00eancia Brasil\" src=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Mayor-Eduardo-Paes-and-Environment-and-Climate-Secretary-Taina-de-Paula.png\" alt=\"Mayor Eduardo Paes and Environment and Climate Secretary Tain\u00e1 de Paula during a demonstration of the seed-sowing drone for reforestation at Mirante do Pedr\u00e3o in Botafogo. Photo: Fernando Fraz\u00e3o\/Ag\u00eancia Brasil\" width=\"1830\" height=\"986\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Mayor-Eduardo-Paes-and-Environment-and-Climate-Secretary-Taina-de-Paula.png 1830w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Mayor-Eduardo-Paes-and-Environment-and-Climate-Secretary-Taina-de-Paula-620x334.png 620w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Mayor-Eduardo-Paes-and-Environment-and-Climate-Secretary-Taina-de-Paula-1167x629.png 1167w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Mayor-Eduardo-Paes-and-Environment-and-Climate-Secretary-Taina-de-Paula-768x414.png 768w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Mayor-Eduardo-Paes-and-Environment-and-Climate-Secretary-Taina-de-Paula-1536x828.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1830px) 100vw, 1830px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-82941\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mayor Eduardo Paes and Environment and Climate Secretary Tain\u00e1 de Paula during a demonstration of the seed-sowing drone for reforestation at Mirante do Pedr\u00e3o in Botafogo. Photo: Fernando Fraz\u00e3o\/<em>Ag\u00eancia Brasil<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Tain\u00e1 de Paula\u2019s tenure at SMAC was marked by complete neglect of the agency\u2019s real problems, especially those related to the remarkable network of conservation units under its stewardship. It was also defined by incessant self-promotion on social media, where she blocked critics and deleted their posts. A lack of transparency regarding the Secretariat\u2019s actions, and above all its omissions, was another hallmark. She was, of course, fully aligned with the mayor\u2019s projects, even when they entailed <a href=\"http:\/\/glo.bo\/4s6hA6a\">large-scale tree removals<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/glo.bo\/3NBfT1E\">disregard for protected heritage sites<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/46WMp51\">damage to conservation units<\/a>, and the <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/47w7sKU\">gutting of the city\u2019s environmental protection structures<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The chemistry between the mayor and the secretary is clearly illustrated by her shift in position regarding a <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/4b4HSQo\">proposed amendment to the City Charter<\/a> introduced by a neoliberal city council member that would allow Rio\u2019s parks and squares to be granted as concessions or otherwise transferred to private interests.<\/p>\n<p>Initially, when the bill\u2019s author was a member of the NOVO Party, the Secretary, then a city council member herself, released a video <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/410RTYO\">attacking the initiative<\/a>, saying she would vote against it and calling on viewers to attend the City Council hearing to pressure lawmakers to do the same. Once she joined the administration, and the neoliberal council member switched to the mayor\u2019s party (PSD), she fell silent. She even issued her Secretariat\u2019s \u201cno objection,\u201d ensuring the proposal could move forward with the full backing of the municipal executive.<\/p>\n<p>The celebrated, award-winning <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/4sLDQm4\">Mutir\u00e3o Reflorestamento project<\/a>, which celebrates 40 years of success in 2026 [by training and hiring favela-based environmental agents who reforest surrounding hillsides], survived rumors that it would be shut down\u2014although it <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/47w7sKU\">has been drastically scaled back<\/a>. The <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3PzIZ1Z\">Environmental Patrol<\/a>, the city\u2019s only municipal channel for cracking down on environmental violations, has remained completely paralyzed for about six months at the time of writing\u2014a victim of administrative incompetence. The Parks and Gardens Foundation, once a model institution and a training ground for skilled professionals, has been completely hollowed out\u2014responsibilities for pruning and tree removal have been transferred to <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/1CnoTw3\">Comlurb<\/a>, the municipal waste collection utility. The result has been a systematic <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/4rxoEaQ\">mutilation<\/a> of the city\u2019s trees\u2014in which <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/2Rs7L2t\">Light<\/a> (the local electricity provider) has also enthusiastically participated\u2014leaving the city drier, hotter and grayer.<\/p>\n<p>Although she had given up a typical function of her own office, Tain\u00e1 de Paula then chose to encroach on Comlurb\u2019s responsibilities with the unbelievable \u201cDrain Guardians\u201d project, hiring people from favelas among her constituents to clean the city\u2019s drains and storm sewers. She spent around R$1.5 million (~US$288,000) in compensatory funds on the initiative, money that would have been better used in the city\u2019s conservation units. Since this is an activity that falls squarely within Comlurb\u2019s responsibilities, which it performs efficiently in many respects, it is fair to ask why these workers were hired in the first place. As for the joke about the destination of those funds, the project\u2019s name practically supplied the punchline.<\/p>\n<h3>Parques Cariocas \u2013 \u201cGive It All Away!\u201d<\/h3>\n<p>The city government\u2019s troubling <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3P5mEcB\">Parques Cariocas program<\/a>, which proposes concessions for municipal urban parks and municipal natural parks (<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/40uOYHU\">PNMs<\/a>), was so riddled with problems from the outset that it remains on hold to this day, despite having been launched in April 2024. It is managed not by SMAC, but by the Carioca Partnerships and Investments Company (<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/4d5f5N9\">CCPAR<\/a>), with support from the Brazilian National Development Bank (<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3Tsgovw\">BNDES<\/a>). The program covers 26 parks and squares divided into lots. No one is opposed to the concession of <em>services<\/em> in these spaces, especially those supporting visitation, but there is a deliberate conflation between urban parks, where a greater presence of facilities aimed at serving the broader public is acceptable, and strictly protected conservation units, whose primary purpose is to preserve ecosystems, fauna and flora. Visitation is welcome\u2014but on nature\u2019s terms, with as little human intervention as possible.<\/p>\n<p>As proof of the ignorance of those involved, SMAC released an <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/4rrqTMX\">initial draft of the terms of reference<\/a> for the concession of <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/4rqRXfj\">Bosque da Barra Park<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/4uncHHv\">Chico Mendes Municipal Natural Park<\/a> that identified images of children climbing trees and observing wildlife as \u201csituations that may compromise visitor safety.\u201d Yet these are precisely the kinds of activities one would hope to find in conservation units in the park category, where very little else is needed to accommodate visitors. Even so, the same bidding document provides for the construction of a vast number of buildings, rides and event facilities\u2014as if the two parks were a <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/4bG6uPE\">Quinta da Boa Vista<\/a> with alligators [Quinta da Boa Vista being an immensely popular and heavily visited landscaped urban park]. <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/4sLpxxH\">The list is enormous<\/a> and the terms of reference nevertheless made clear that the winning bidders could propose even more interventions.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_82942\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-82942\" style=\"width: 1836px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Figure-on-privatization-of-parks.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-82942 size-full\" title=\"Full translation of image text: \u201cIn Figure 16, we can see two situations that may compromise visitor safety. Figure 16 \u2013 Visitor safety at Bosque da Barra Municipal Natural Park A \u2013 Capybaras near the lake shore and trails; B \u2013 Children playing in trees. Source: Detzel Consulting, 2013.\u201d Excerpt from the original terms of reference for the concession of services in the Bosque da Barra Park and Chico Mendes Municipal Natural Park.\" src=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Figure-on-privatization-of-parks.png\" alt=\"Full translation of image text: \u201cIn Figure 16, we can see two situations that may compromise visitor safety. Figure 16 \u2013 Visitor safety at Bosque da Barra Municipal Natural Park A \u2013 Capybaras near the lake shore and trails; B \u2013 Children playing in trees. Source: Detzel Consulting, 2013.\u201d Excerpt from the original terms of reference for the concession of services in the Bosque da Barra Park and Chico Mendes Municipal Natural Park.\" width=\"1836\" height=\"978\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Figure-on-privatization-of-parks.png 1836w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Figure-on-privatization-of-parks-620x330.png 620w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Figure-on-privatization-of-parks-1181x629.png 1181w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Figure-on-privatization-of-parks-768x409.png 768w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Figure-on-privatization-of-parks-1536x818.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1836px) 100vw, 1836px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-82942\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Full translation of image text: \u201cIn Figure 16, we can see two situations that may compromise visitor safety. Figure 16 \u2013 Visitor safety at Bosque da Barra Municipal Natural Park A \u2013 Capybaras near the lake shore and trails; B \u2013 Children playing in trees. Source: Detzel Consulting, 2013.\u201d Excerpt from the original terms of reference for the concession of services in the Bosque da Barra Park and Chico Mendes Municipal Natural Park.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Even if this has since been corrected, Parques Cariocas\u2019 first attempt revealed the <em>ideology<\/em> behind it: the surrender of all public spaces to private interests, with the possibility of excessive, or even senseless, interventions to attract more people, generate more revenue and boost the venture. Unfortunately for its proponents, a <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/4lpRWXE\">pilot project of sorts<\/a> now underway at the <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/4sbRwqD\">Catacumba Municipal Natural Park<\/a> and held up as a model by CCPAR\u2019s president, is in fact a disaster. The winning bidder, <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/4cIn1nf\">Lagoa Aventuras<\/a>, has widely failed to comply with deadlines and contractual clauses, except the one that allowed operations to begin the day after the contract was signed. Under normal circumstances, this concession should have been void and the contract rescinded long ago, as it is a glaring example of private sector inefficiency, to the detriment of the public.<\/p>\n<h3>A Festival of Irregularities<\/h3>\n<p>Beyond the <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/415cTha\">day-to-day felling of trees<\/a> in the city\u2019s squares and streets by Comlurb, Light and clueless residents who face no enforcement, the list of larger-scale attacks on Rio de Janeiro\u2019s greenery\u2013whether due to omission or, more often, with the city government\u2019s active participation\u2013seems endless. It includes protected heritage sites, strictly protected municipal conservation units, beaches, mangroves and more. Nothing is immune to the mayor\u2019s privatizing, urbanizing zeal, so we shall conclude with just a few examples.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/4bJeI9B\">Jardim de Alah<\/a>, a broad complex of tree-lined squares between Ipanema and Leblon, was <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/4bITtEX\">designated a protected heritage site in 2001<\/a> by decree of former Mayor C\u00e9sar Maia, the man responsible for Eduardo Paes\u2019s entry into politics. The park was left abandoned for a time, then turned into a subway construction site and once the works were completed, it was returned to the city government in a devastated state. Ignoring the law and <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/4uMS6gf\">residents\u2019 repeated appeals<\/a>, including successive proposals to revitalize the space while preserving its original characteristics, Eduardo Paes put out <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/47MDhA6\">a bid for a disturbing project<\/a> that would replace 130 trees with over 40 shops, bars, restaurants and parking spaces along the canal beside the park. It is a cross between a shopping mall and <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/4uxH3Hu\">Puerto Madero<\/a>, one that will trade the peace of this historic space, a haven of calm amid urban chaos, for yet another unwanted commercial frenzy. Fortunately, the <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/4dmbM40\">State Prosecutor\u2019s Office filed a public civil action<\/a> to stop this blow against Rio\u2019s greenery, to be carried out by a consortium cynically named \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/4utvUHH\">Rio Mais Verde<\/a>\u201d (Greener Rio).<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_82944\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-82944\" style=\"width: 1822px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/The-Rio-Mais-Verde-consortium.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-82944 size-full\" title=\"The Rio Mais Verde consortium\u2019s \u201cvision\u201d for Jardim de Alah, designed in the 1930s as a quiet, tree-lined space. Photo: Company press release\" src=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/The-Rio-Mais-Verde-consortium.png\" alt=\"The Rio Mais Verde consortium\u2019s \u201cvision\u201d for Jardim de Alah, designed in the 1930s as a quiet, tree-lined space. Photo: Company press release\" width=\"1822\" height=\"1194\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/The-Rio-Mais-Verde-consortium.png 1822w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/The-Rio-Mais-Verde-consortium-620x406.png 620w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/The-Rio-Mais-Verde-consortium-960x629.png 960w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/The-Rio-Mais-Verde-consortium-768x503.png 768w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/The-Rio-Mais-Verde-consortium-1536x1007.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1822px) 100vw, 1822px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-82944\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Rio Mais Verde consortium\u2019s \u201cvision\u201d for Jardim de Alah, <a href=\"https:\/\/oeco.org.br\/noticias\/jardim-de-alah-no-rio-tera-manifestacao-neste-sabado-contra-corte-de-arvores\/\">designed in the 1930s as a quiet, tree-lined space<\/a>. Photo: Company press release<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The property that once housed the Bennett School in Flamengo, despite having been <a href=\"http:\/\/glo.bo\/47vZH8G\">designated a protected heritage site in 2014<\/a> by Eduardo Paes himself, had <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/4b6mTfX\">71 trees cut down<\/a> between Christmas and New Year\u2019s 2025\u2014not coincidentally at a time of year [peak heat, during the holidays] when public reaction is low. This despite the fact that the preservation order had explicitly declared those trees immune from felling. <a href=\"http:\/\/glo.bo\/4buthwx\">Public reaction was intense<\/a>. The <a href=\"http:\/\/glo.bo\/3PBvO0w\">State Prosecutor\u2019s Office filed another civil action<\/a>, and construction, as in Jardim de Alah, is <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/4bqLtqT\">currently suspended<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_82945\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-82945\" style=\"width: 1810px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Protest-outside-the-former-Bennett-School.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-82945 size-full\" title=\"Protest outside the former Bennett School. Sign reads: &quot;Ecocidal Paes&quot;. Photo: Press release\" src=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Protest-outside-the-former-Bennett-School.png\" alt=\"Protest outside the former Bennett School. Sign reads: &quot;Ecocidal Paes&quot;. Photo: Press release\" width=\"1810\" height=\"1012\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Protest-outside-the-former-Bennett-School.png 1810w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Protest-outside-the-former-Bennett-School-620x347.png 620w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Protest-outside-the-former-Bennett-School-1125x629.png 1125w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Protest-outside-the-former-Bennett-School-768x429.png 768w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Protest-outside-the-former-Bennett-School-1536x859.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1810px) 100vw, 1810px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-82945\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Protest outside the former Bennett School. Sign reads: &#8220;Ecocidal Paes&#8221;. Photo: Press release<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>But the damage there has already been done, and business interests often bank on creating a <em>fait accompli<\/em> to later secure the right to profit from illegality in exchange for a few food baskets through a Conduct Adjustment Agreement. Another example of this policy is the <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3NpoZyy\">notorious Sugarloaf zip line<\/a>, which was effectively \u201c<a href=\"http:\/\/glo.bo\/3N49Dzv\">gifted\u201d the right by the Superior Court of Justice<\/a> (STJ) to complete construction while awaiting the outcome of a civil action that may ultimately order its complete dismantling.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_82946\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-82946\" style=\"width: 1808px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Occupation-of-the-sands-of-Barra-da-Tijuca.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-82946 size-full\" title=\"The outrageous occupation of the sands of Barra da Tijuca, on the right side of the image, by the Carioca Windsurf Association. Photo: Internet reproduction\" src=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Occupation-of-the-sands-of-Barra-da-Tijuca.png\" alt=\"The outrageous occupation of the sands of Barra da Tijuca, on the right side of the image, by the Carioca Windsurf Association. Photo: Internet reproduction\" width=\"1808\" height=\"1106\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Occupation-of-the-sands-of-Barra-da-Tijuca.png 1808w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Occupation-of-the-sands-of-Barra-da-Tijuca-620x379.png 620w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Occupation-of-the-sands-of-Barra-da-Tijuca-1028x629.png 1028w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Occupation-of-the-sands-of-Barra-da-Tijuca-768x470.png 768w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Occupation-of-the-sands-of-Barra-da-Tijuca-1536x940.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1808px) 100vw, 1808px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-82946\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The outrageous occupation of the sands of Barra da Tijuca, on the right side of the image, by the Carioca Windsurf Association. Photo: Internet reproduction<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/1EJxTst\">Barra da Tijuca<\/a>, at the spot known as <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/4cO2nSK\">Pep\u00ea<\/a>, the <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/4sjfro8\">Carioca Windsurf Association<\/a> has occupied a large stretch of beach for over two decades with a board storage facility, at first a makeshift structure and later a <a href=\"http:\/\/glo.bo\/40tn9j9\">colossal concrete bunker<\/a>, fencing off a broad area and covering it with grass in front of the entrance for the exclusive use of its members. A public space was thus brazenly turned into a private club, where parties and other paid events are held under the city government\u2019s complacent gaze. Because beaches are federal property, the matter was reported in 2001\u2014yes, 2001\u2014to the Federal Prosecutor\u2019s Office by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/gae_grupoacaoecologica\/\">Ecological Action Group<\/a>, and the complaint was recently renewed by <a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3Po2ANh\">State Deputy Carlos Minc<\/a>. Here too a <a href=\"http:\/\/glo.bo\/4bsLE54\">civil action was filed<\/a>, but too late, and the structure was allowed to be completed while still being challenged in court. Although it did not begin under the current administration, it grew and became entrenched thanks to the current SMAC\u2019s omission, even though it is located within a municipal Environmental Protection Area.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_82948\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-82948\" style=\"width: 1372px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Reveillon-no-Wind-Surf-Barra.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-82948 size-full\" title=\"\u201cNew Year\u2019s Eve at the Carioca Windsurf Association Guarderia!\u201d For R$595 (~US$110), customers could secure their spot to ring in 2025 with an \u201cexclusive bar\u201d and \u201cfull amenities,\u201d proof that the venture\u2019s purpose goes well beyond the innocent storage of sports equipment. Photo: Press release.\" src=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Reveillon-no-Wind-Surf-Barra.png\" alt=\"\u201cNew Year\u2019s Eve at the Carioca Windsurf Association Guarderia!\u201d For R$595 (~US$110), customers could secure their spot to ring in 2025 with an \u201cexclusive bar\u201d and \u201cfull amenities,\u201d proof that the venture\u2019s purpose goes well beyond the innocent storage of sports equipment. Photo: Press release.\" width=\"1372\" height=\"1162\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Reveillon-no-Wind-Surf-Barra.png 1372w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Reveillon-no-Wind-Surf-Barra-620x525.png 620w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Reveillon-no-Wind-Surf-Barra-743x629.png 743w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Reveillon-no-Wind-Surf-Barra-768x650.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1372px) 100vw, 1372px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-82948\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">\u201cNew Year\u2019s Eve at the Carioca Windsurf Association Guarderia!\u201d For R$595 (~US$110), customers could secure their spot to ring in 2025 with an \u201cexclusive bar\u201d and \u201cfull amenities,\u201d proof that the venture\u2019s purpose goes well beyond the innocent storage of sports equipment. Photo: Press release<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Much more could be said, but what we have seen so far is already enough to show, beyond dispute, that we are in the midst of a fire sale of Rio\u2019s natural heritage, under attack on multiple fronts at once. Residents\u2019 associations, environmental organizations and outraged citizens acting on their own have responded vigorously, but this is a deeply uneven fight, one that evokes the old David-versus-Goliath clich\u00e9. For while on one side there are companies with legions of well-paid lawyers, fixers and publicists, on the other there are only people unwilling to accept the destruction of their beloved city by the greed that binds unscrupulous politicians and businesspeople together, and who, in resisting it, spend precious time and energy that could otherwise be devoted to work, study or family life. Be that as it may, we will not give up.<\/p>\n<p>May Saint Sebastian, the city\u2019s patron, protect us from these people.<\/p>\n<p><em>About the Author: Andr\u00e9 Ilha is founding member of the Ecological Action Group (GAE), former director of Biodiversity and Protected Areas at INEA (Rio de Janeiro State Environmental Institute responsible for environmental licensing in the state), a climber of four decades and an amateur rock climbing guide since 1980. <\/em><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h4><b data-stringify-type=\"bold\">Support\u00a0<\/b><b data-stringify-type=\"bold\"><i data-stringify-type=\"italic\">RioOnWatch<\/i><\/b><b data-stringify-type=\"bold\">\u2019s tireless, critical and cutting-edge hyperlocal journalism, online community organizing meetings, and direct support to favelas\u00a0<\/b><b data-stringify-type=\"bold\"><a class=\"c-link\" href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/DonateToRioOnWatch\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-stringify-link=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/DonateToRioOnWatch\" data-sk=\"tooltip_parent\">by clicking here.<\/a><\/b><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\"><p>Clique aqui para Portugu\u00eas For the original article by Andr\u00e9 Ilha, published in O Eco on March 9, click here. Upon taking office for his fourth term as Rio de Janeiro\u2019s mayor [in January 2025], <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/?p=82899\" title=\"Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes Sells Off Iconic Green Spaces [REFERENCE]\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":245,"featured_media":82900,"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":[2663,1288,3477,335,452,1330,328,336],"tags":[3490,776,162,2941,732,2128,272,474,2487,1395,2826,182,1298,1862,3707,2219,703,141,2221,2040,149,10,1616,3875,471,3384,1099],"writer":[3874],"translator":[3738],"illustrator":[],"photographer":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-82899","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-interventionwatch","8":"category-highlight","9":"category-climate-justice","10":"category-policies","11":"category-rio20","12":"category-translation","13":"category-understanding-rio","14":"category-violations","15":"tag-carlos-minc-psb","16":"tag-cesar-maia","17":"tag-city-council","18":"tag-conservation","19":"tag-conservation-unit","20":"tag-deforestation","21":"tag-mayor-eduardo-paes","22":"tag-environment","23":"tag-environment-secretariat","24":"tag-environmental-protection-area-apa","25":"tag-government-incompetence","26":"tag-government-neglect","27":"tag-green-space","28":"tag-mental-health","29":"tag-nature-based-solutions","30":"tag-novo","31":"tag-private-sector","32":"tag-privatization","33":"tag-psd","34":"tag-pt","35":"tag-public-private-partnership","36":"tag-real-estate-speculation","37":"tag-reference","38":"tag-renaturation","39":"tag-sustainability","40":"tag-taina-de-paula","41":"tag-trees","42":"writer-andre-ilha","43":"translator-sylvia-schiller"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82899","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=82899"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82899\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":82949,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82899\/revisions\/82949"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/82900"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=82899"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=82899"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=82899"},{"taxonomy":"writer","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fwriter&post=82899"},{"taxonomy":"translator","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftranslator&post=82899"},{"taxonomy":"illustrator","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fillustrator&post=82899"},{"taxonomy":"photographer","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fphotographer&post=82899"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}