Fighting the Favelas

A once vibrant community

The ruins of Favela Do Metro. Now 300 out of 700 families remain in a once bustling vibrant working class community that stood for over three decades. Many of those who left were relocated to Cosmos a distant suburb some 70 kilometers (43 miles) away. It's widely understood that Metro will become a car park to serve Maracana although this information hasn't been made public.

Fighting the Favelas

Living in the ruins

Eomar Freitas' house is one of three remaining on his street. He built it from scratch 18 years ago. "The authorities came in and destroyed the houses next door and dumped all the rubbish in front of my house," he says. "This was a great community everyone knew each other. Now, I can barely leave my house because I'm scared they’ll knock it down while I'm away."

Fighting the Favelas

Unbearable conditions

A young woman studies amongst partially destroyed buildings. At night, these shells become nests for crack addicts. The unsanitary conditions also attract swarms of rats and mosquitoes. Many residents see partially destroying the buildings as a way of saving money on proper demolition. But they create insufferable conditions for those who remain, pressuring them to take inadequate compensation.

Fighting the Favelas

'Enemies of the people'

Head of the residents association Francecleide Da Costa stands in the courtyard of Metro. The graffiti reads "enemies of the people" and refers to mayor Eduardo Paes and housing minister Jorge Bittar. "They don't negotiate," says Frances. "They just impose what they want, and the people are supposed to just take it." Human rights leaders have criticized authorities for lack of dialogue.

Fighting the Favelas

Fishing community

Twenty-five kilometers across town from Metro in Barra Da Tijuca lies Favela Vila Autodromo, founded as a fishing village 40 years ago. Inalva Mendes and her husband Elias have lived here for 35 years. City hall have given multiple reasons to why the community "needs" to be dismantled. 

Fighting the Favelas

Change of scenery

Vila Autodromo's residents believe the community's proximity to the future Olympic park and the scenic Jacrepagua Lagoon (pictured) has made it a target for developers. Twenty-six similar communities are expected to be heavily affected across Rio de Janeiro, most of them close to event venues. 

Fighting the Favelas

Resisting eviction 

Most of Vila Autodromo's residents hold legal land title documents, secured following a dispute for the area in 1990. Residents have rejected offers of new apartments about one kilometer away. "I don’t want a small apartment like ones city hall is offering," Fisherman Paulo Ferrera says.

Author: Sam Cowie | Editor: Rob Mudge