In the last two weeks, two incidents involving Rio have infiltrated my twitter feed. The first being the tragic story about the German tourist who was shot after wandering off into an unsavory part of Rocinha. The second, which for some reason caught more attention abroad, was a Talksport writer almost getting mugged at knife point.
Clearly, both of these events show a violent side to Rio, a side the governmental powers here are keen to eradicate before the city begins welcoming the world to its shores in a stream of upcoming mega events.
The story regarding the German tourist is one of extreme sadness. It reminds everyone reading of the real dangers and issues the city faces. However, there are two conclusions I have come to in the light of this recent tragedy.
1.) Favelas, pacified or not, are home to severe inequality like the cities they are situated in. There are nice parts, there are more underdeveloped parts, and there are quite frankly parts you just shouldn’t go without a local. The part of Rocinha in which this incident occurred is an area in which I have entered a few times in my whole ten months here so far. It is called ‘Roupa Suja’ (dirty linen) for a reason; a reason which clearly reflects its socio-economic status and partly explains why some of the normalities of pre-pacified life still remain there – hidden away in its maze of becos (small alleyways). What happened to the tourist cannot be condoned. It was a paranoid act of violence. We can, however, learn from this. If you’re visiting a favela do your homework! Read blogs, find out where popular restaurants are, perhaps you have a friend there, you can even find a range of tours if you’re the kind of person that needs an absolute guarantee of safety. Although tours are something I am hypercritical of, as well. Please, I urge you, don’t go walking off into twisted thin becos alone, with cameras and then when approached, run! It couldn’t be any worse an idea. Find the main streets, enjoy yourself, chat to people, contribute to the local economy by having a browse around the shops and bars. You have to remember, these places are just neighborhoods. Places in which a third of the city live. People need to rid their minds of this gawking mentality, and whilst paying attention to safety and being street wise, enjoy yourself.
2.) As the incident in Roupa Suja pointed out, some of the problems Rio faces as a city are somewhat swept under the rug. There is a definite feeling in Rio that certain policies, investment projects and campaigns are simply to please the external critics and global observers of Brazil’s progress as its hour of glory approaches. The fact that Adrian Durham, a wealthy British journalist became the center of attention, is a stark example of the distorted international press coverage Rio gets. By stigmatizing small incidents, of which could have been avoided if people took a little more advice and caution with their dress sense, the media focuses not on the cause of Rio’s problems but its symptoms. By painting Rio to be a dark place full of rape, muggings, and violence the government here has become increasingly more likely to focus on the short term. They seem to ask themselves: How can we best keep the negative aspects of our city hidden while all the guests are here? As opposed to the burning issue of: how can we get rid of the negative aspects of our city?
From the longevity and sustainability of the UPP programs, the abandoning of vans in Zona Sul, and the crazy house, as well as event tickets prices, among some people in the city, I sense a feeling of injustice. A feeling that those outside the country are being put before many of those within.
I’m not saying that every change and policy made by the government here is solely for the benefit of foreigners and that nothing has been done to neutralize social problems, as that wouldn’t be true. What I am saying is, the government, while frantically finishing its refurbishments for next year and 2016, needs to keep an eye on the real issues that will still be here when the medals are won, the champagne is finished, and Usain Bolt has won his third 100m gold medal.
Jennifer Kim 