The City Of Brazil By Rio De Janeiro

This is a ‘touchy’ subject to most, as most people who live in an urban setting know someone either initiated into a gang or affiliated with a gang in one way or another. This is not a subject that is only skin deep. This is something that was created out of years of struggle and oppression, until the pressure years of social injustice found an outlet in the form of rebellion and organizations designed to fight the power that once suppressed them. At least that is how it began. Now the Gang mentality isn’t about protecting the community, it’s about power, local respect, fortune, and most of all fear. These are the same organizations that recruit children and adolescents to become drug dealers and

Afro-Paradise: Blackness, Violence, and Performance in Brazil by Christen A. Smith juxtaposes the images of Brazil’s black populations shown in the media with the ugly reality that they actually face in their everyday lives. From an outside perspective Brazil, especially Rio de Janeiro, is known as this tropical paradise with their beautiful beaches, beautiful people, and of course Carnaval do Brasil. When you Google images of the Carnaval you will see images of colorful floats, and beautiful women with “perfect bodies” wearing outfits that look like solely mardi gras beads to cover their its and bits. “Brazil, a republic that once declared itself free of racism, is now faced with the reality that racism does exist” (5). Brazil is known as a country with such a diverse and rich culture that everyone from other races live together in harmony. The representation of black bodies within Brazil can be seen with by the performers dancing on floats and with bodies being shot on the cement. Afro-paradise is a paradox. The oppressive economy uses its identity as an exotic, black “jovial playland” for tourists to come and experience the black culture and black people. Glorifying the black culture of Bahia reinforces Brazil’s racially

“Another day. Another murder. In the Mexican Drug War, such violence has become so common that the slaying of five police at a stoplight was a brief tucked in local crime sections” (Grillo pg.154). These crime rates have force many people to move to other places to escape the daily killings that happen. “I keep hearing about friends who have been killed out here” (Grillo pg.168) and for some people it isn’t just friends but families that get murdered. Some people even resort to getting involve in these crimes because “his bloody money has taken him and his family out of the ghetto” (Grillo pg.159). It’s not something that people enjoy our would like to be involve in but unfortunately it is the only way that they can afford to feed their families. Therefore, some people to avoid these situations by move to the U.S. to find a decent way of making money and living

Guerilla warfare and drug gangs in the “favelas of Brazil” pushed many families to emigrate to the United States and Canada; separating families (“Latin America” 3). The people of Latin America love pursuing human contact, so those families that did stay found themselves in the cites. That is because opportunity lied in the city, and no longer on the country-side; therefore, leading to a constant flow of people from rural to urban areas. The author says, “In Latin America, urban culture was not created by industrial growth; it predated it” (“Latin America” 4).

This explains why they overwhelmingly support Lula and Dilma Rousseff in the current political and economic crisis, unlike the rest of the population (Caulyt and Malkes 2016; Favela 247 2016). However, due to the rising living costs in the pacified favelas (Oosterban and Van Hijk 2015), the Bolsa Família does not provide a support that would be sufficient to overcome clientelism. Moreover, the Bolsa Família is often blamed for not giving voice to civil society (Hevia 2011), therefore participatory policies are generally preferred.

Since 1980 and the entrance of gangs, the violence in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro has skyrocketed. Through the combination of several factors, the favelas have become very dangerous place for its residents to live in. Janice Perlman describes these factors as the ‘ingredients’ that create a ‘violence stew.’ These ‘ingredients’ each add to violence and put its residents in a more vulnerable position. Most of these ingredients are caused by a strong drug gangs, indifferent government with unaccountable police, and vulnerable poor population. Each these alone would not necessarily increase the violence seen in Rio today, but when combined together create this ‘violence stew.’

Brazil is currently undergoing a large wave of gang-related criminal activity that has resulted in backlash towards the police for their inadequate response. Rohter from the New York Times described how the prison gang, First Capital Command, has escalated their crimes to terrorize law enforcement. This pressure has caused the Brazilian national government to act by moving the gang members to maximum security prisons hundreds of miles away from the capital. The decision to separate the members motivated the street affiliated members to increase terror on law enforcement. It was not until the government officials met with the gang leader, Mr. Camacho, to negotiate a peace offering, that the gang called a cease-fire on government officials. To

Brazil has some of the most violent cities in the world. The murder rate in Brazil has been going through the roof each year. Some cities have a murder rate of 50 per 50,000 people. Most murder victims are usually male, poor and teenagers. Most of these crimes take place in the infamous favelas of Brazil. Murder is not the only crime leaking in the shallow streets of the favelas. High-profile rape cases, kidnapping, drugs, and weapons dealing in the favelas are the common headlines in Brazil (Griffin, Jo). These crimes are born in the favelas and spread through the streets of Brazil. The economic growth of Brazil over the years has benefited the rich puppeteers of the society, but it has made life more miserable for the poor (McCann, Bryan). Not just in Rio, but favelas have spread throughout many cities in Brazil and now they are the number one birthplace of different types of crimes in the country. In this paper, we will analyze an article published on the online version of ‘The Guardians” regarding the lives of people living in Brazilian slums (favelas).

In the documentary Favela Rising it introduces the viewer to Brazil's “shanty town” known as the Favelas. The opening scene shows children, families bathing in the streets and the startling statistics of young people being murdered 1987-2001 3,937 minors were murdered in a single city of Brazil (2:06). The Favela’s are plagued with criminals that have long been dominated by gangs of young boys dealing drugs. Unfortunately even though the presence of police is widely visible it didn’t mean they are available, which leaves the average citizens unprotected and frequently caught in the crossfire of police or criminal activity. Over the years the Brazilian government

A census done in 2000 shows that the core cities of Brazil, Rio included have not only experienced population growth rate decrease, but also that they are no longer attracting immigrants.

According to Gallup, Inc., an American research company, Venezuela was ranked as the most insecure nation in the word in the year of 2013. (Crime) This high insecurity not only affects the lives of citizens, but also foreigners in the country. The most affected group of people is the middle class, who are more concerned about such high crime rates rather than the current shortage of basic goods. In fact, Venezuelans were forced to change their ways of life due to the country’s hazardousness. The following graph illustrates the rise in the homicide rates from the years 2000-2011. This indicates that there have not been advances in the control of crime and violence in the country.

A lack of educational rights however, is not the only issue residents in Rocinha battle with. The lack of safety rights and crime rates are other major issues dealt with everyday in Rocinha, similarities which associate them with many other places around the world that don't have access to safety and proper security but differentiates them entirely between rich communities right beside them. Stated in the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights article number three “Everybody has the right to life, liberty and the security of person.” However this is not the case for Rocinha’s residents due to the violence which arises between drug gangs and police.The two drug gangs fighting for complete control over Rocinha ‘Amigos Dos Amigos’

In the United States there has of late been a higher sensitivity to African-Americans and their plight for social justice. Movements such as “Black Lives Matter” underscore the prevailing opinion that there still are inequalities as it pertains to the criminal justice system as well as socio-economic discriminations that many in America find unjust and deplorable. These injustices however pale in comparison to those that have occurred in Brazil even within the last ten years to Blacks in Brazil. When 19 Afro-Latinos were murdered in a police operation in the massacre of 2007 in the Comlexo do Alemão the riots that took place were no less than catastrophic. The riots in Watts in the 60’s as well as the Rodney King riots of the 90’s together brought less damage, death and destruction. The country still is reeling from the effects and the negative opinion of Blacks in the country

Each favela used to be control by a drug gang, whose leader was named the dono (literally, “the owner”) of the favela. In the case of Babilônia, it was the Terceiro Commando (CT). The Pacification Policy enabled to end the rule by drug lords, thus containing the violence that killed many residents trapped in shootings. Interviewees agreed that violence has decreased even though drug trafficking is still present.

Within this paper we will be exploring the country of Brazil and more specifically, the city of Rio de Janeiro. The focus of this paper will be the link between poverty and race in Rio. Rio has one of the highest populations in Brazil that currently live in favelas (the slums of Brazil), close to 25 percent and all of these people are currently living below the poverty line. There are many causes of poverty, but there are also many solutions and current initiatives that are currently being implemented by the Brazilian government. While Brazil is an extremely diverse country, the poverty line also happens to mainly be a segregation between races. The poor are marginalized in the city, with their dangerous and less than ideal living conditions and rising living expenses. This includes things from bus fares to health problems; from living in such tight quarters, like the ones in the favela slums, to little to no social security benefits. The rich, on the other hand, are living in the developed areas of the city and do not face these same issues. Most recently there was the summer Olympics in Rio, which managed to shine a very bright light on all of these issues we will be discussing throughout this paper. The Olympics were intended to show Brazil as an upcoming economic player, but managed to do the complete opposite and create a large stage for protestors and activists to speak on the issues happening in Brazil. These