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Article on violence in Rio de Janeiro

GreenDeac

GreenDeac

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http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/eticket/story?page=110510/Rio

Most people knew that it would be a significant challenge for Rio to host both the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics. I'm still surprised the city managed to land both events so close to each other.

This article does a really good job profiling some of the violence in the slums around Rio and the government's efforts to control it.

For an even more in depth look at Rio, I'd strongly recommended watching the film City of God.
 
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GreenDeac said:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/eticket/story?page=110510/Rio

Most people knew that it would be a significant challenge for Rio to host both the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics. I'm still surprised the city managed to land both events so close to each other.

This article does a really good job profiling some of the violence in the slums around Rio and the governments efforts to control it.

For an even more in depth look at Rio I'd strongly recommended watching the film City of God.
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Great, great movie. As part of MBA program at Yale, my brother went to Brazil for 6 weeks to do consulting. A large percentage of the time he was working on World Cup prep. They were discussing many of these issues. Brazile is in a really fascinating position in terms of economic v. cultural development.
 
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For a more in depth look at Boston I'd strongly recommended watching the films The Town and The Departed.
 
timdunkandthefunk said:
For a more in depth look at Boston I'd strongly recommended watching the films The Town and The Departed.
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City of God is based on a semi-autobiographical novel, so I think it's a bit different comparison. Also, the child actors used in the film were actual residents of fivelas. Sort of an unfair comment.
 
I know but it's hard for me to think of a fictional movie as an "in-depth look". Maybe Blood Diamond is a better comparison.
 
Not encouraging. I already have my funds saved up for the WC2014 trip. I'd like to come back alive
 
timdunkandthefunk said:
For a more in depth look at Boston I'd strongly recommended watching the films The Town and The Departed.
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hah, definitely understand your point, probably could have used better wording than "in-depth look." However, if you read the article, many of the realities discussed are similar to the themes depicted in City of God.
 
At my old firm, you had to carry kidnapping insurance when traveling to the Rio office ... always was a sobering conversation topic.
 
When I went to Rio for Carnival last year, I stayed out in the suburbs and was taking their subway and public buses at all hours of the night. You watched yourself using common sense (especially in the tourist parts) and the city and taxi drivers also have permission to run red lights there in certain areas. It is not an ideal situation there, with the favelas and poverty backing up to barbedwire-topped stone walls covered with graffiti and surrounding some wealthier enclave, but they know how to do it pretty well. I was actually supposed to attend one of the favela Carnival parties (plan fell through for various reasons) with my friends, but it was also a favela party that had hired security.

The only thing close to violence I saw was after a soccer game between Flamengo and Botafogo. We were walking back from it (they freaking walk everywhere there, it seems, which I guess is why they're always thin and in shape), probably a half mile from the stadium, and a mob of kids (late teens/early twenties) was chasing a couple people down the street beating on them before they got away. Everybody reflexively moved off to the side of the sidewalk against the buildings and took off their team colors to avoid being brought into any of the trouble. It was pretty surreal.

Anyway, I think the Brazilians will have their act together and put on a good face for the games. They are very excited, both rich and poor, about being entrusted with the games. It will be interesting to see if they're able to clean any of the graffiti that you see throughout the city and keep it cleaned for the duration of the games. They can probably make some deals with some of the favelas and gangs there to cool it for a couple weeks.

Oh, and another good Brazilian film that delves into some of the same stuff you see in City of God only from a cop perspective is Tropa de Elite (Elite Squad).
 
Don't we get this type of article leading up to the World Cup/Olympics anytime a non-Western power hosts it? And it doesn't end up being a problem? Heck, the biggest recent even to happen at a World Cup/Olympics was the bombing in Atlanta.
 
PhDeac said:
Don't we get this type of article leading up to the World Cup/Olympics anytime a non-Western power hosts it? And it doesn't end up being a problem? Heck, the biggest recent even to happen at a World Cup/Olympics was the bombing in Atlanta.
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ELC, thanks for the recommendation on Tropa de Elite, I'll check it out. Also, fascinating stories from your trip down to Rio, very enjoyable to read.

Ph, I definitely agree with you to some extent; however, while both Athens and Beijing had their own problems, I don't remember articles about them trying to control a massive drug war. That said, I think part of the point of the article was highlighting the extreme dichotomy of life in Rio, from a normal, thriving international city in some areas, and then favelas with people struggling to get by just blocks away. Obviously, many cities struggle with poverty, crime, drugs, etc., but the article suggested to me that Rio is obviously going to try to put on a good "face" for the international community, but might not actually stay committed to working to change the conditions in the favelas for residents who live there. It will be very interesting to see if some of the additional resources (police) devoted to those areas before the World Cup and Olympic Games stay around after 2016. Or does the government withdraw their resources from those areas after the games?
 
see Waste Land for an in depth look at Rio, particularly Jardim Gramacho.
 
I will also say that my brother got mugged three times when he was in Rio for his cell phone. School told them not to bother to bring a computer or cell phone because this would happen, but my mom was insistent that she have a way to reach him, so he hid it away for her. They still got him though. That being said, when he lived in Manhattan he got jumped on the subway two times for other stupid shit, so maybe he just looks like a young kid who wants to fight.
 
Also, ELC and sarcasdeac, how dare you guys suggest films and documentaries that might provide some insight into Brazil. You can't learn anything from MOVIES.

(sarcasm)
 
GreenDeac said:
Also, ELC and sarcasdeac, how dare you guys suggest films and documentaries that might provide some insight into Brazil. You can't learn anything from MOVIES.

(sarcasm)
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Ha, when we were in Rio a few years back I stayed in Barra da Tijuca across from the favelas and I never felt threated. My wife was working down there so I was by myself all day and would just wander up and down the beaches, getting by with two words - chopp and obrigado. Even spent a day hanging out at the jardin gramacho but never any trouble.
 
vadimivich said:
At my old firm, you had to carry kidnapping insurance when traveling to the Rio office ... always was a sobering conversation topic.
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Yep. The company I work with requires a security escort whenever you leave the office or hotel. There may be other countries where this is the case, but Brazil is the only one I'm aware of.
 
Buddy of mine lived there for a few years and I visited him for a couple weeks. Yes, walking up and down beaches and hanging out during the day - you're fine. Especially in tourist areas like Ipanema.

However, one of the nights we went out we asked a cab to take us to a bar my buddy had been to a number of times. We're shooting the shit in English in the back of the cab when we look up he realizes we are not going the right route and we were not in a good part of town.

Just as we realize this the cab drivers stops as if to say, "this is where you wanted, right?" but there are a number of sketchy guys around staring at the cab. My friend starts absolutely ripping into him in Portuguese. The driver realizes he's a local and immediately speeds away, one of the guys in the crowd wings a bottle at the cab but misses and it shattered behind us.

There's no doubt in my mind we were being taken to be robbed. When the cab driver dropped us off we refused to pay and he thanked us anyway. We recorded his information and my friend later notified the police who basically laughed it off and refused to make any note of it.

Like many places, I'm guessing when they add security for big events and everyone's on their best behavior, things will be fine. But Rio is legitimately dangerous in a lot of areas.
 
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