Our struggle goes back a long way. Since the late 1990s, our community has been trying to fend off various attempts to evacuate the favela. It’s true that it is a pretty place that is calm and slightly out of the way, so real estate investors are interested.

During the Pan American games in 2007, we narrowly escaped expulsion. The favela is situated close to a well-known race course, and the local authorities had developed several real estate projects in the neighbourhood. At the time, they had considered just tearing down the favela, but the local prefect eventually recognized the legitimacy of our titles to our property. The favela was left untouched, but a water park and a velodrome were built nearby. From this moment on, real estate prices skyrocketed in the entire area. For instance, today, to buy here, it’s about 7,000 reais (2,700 euros) per square metre.

 

If we are to believe the local authorities, we are to be relocated free of charge in a nearby area. But we just learned that we would still need to pay monthly housing maintenance costs of about 100 to 150 reais [38 to 58 euros], even though the average monthly income of the favela residents is 600 reais [230 euros]. We feel trapped.

 

 

 

The municipality’s stated reason for destroying the favela is the sanitary conditions. But we know that their objective is to continue developing the area around the race track. The favela’s destruction would be a way to hide the poor people, because they don’t look nice next to brand new buildings. This would also allow real estate speculation in the area. It’s a purely capitalistic motive. [According to city planner Carlos Vanier, who participated in the development of an alternative plan, the favela is in “a zone of intense real estate interest”].

 

During a people’s social forum that we organized in 2011, we met some academics working on urban development. With their help and that of a group of technicians, we prepared a counter-proposal that would bring the favela up to norm. This plan would, among other things, provide access to drinking water, as well as to a sewage system. [Other aspects include paving over the streets, the construction of a school and of a preschool, and public transit]. It’s a totally viable project, according to expert consultations, and it would also save the government money, since it would be cheaper than expropriating our entire community. [The residents’ project is valued at 5.5 million euros, which is half the cost of the favela’s evacuation, according to their numbers]. The authorities have 45 days to decide. If they turn down our plan, we will fight them, despite our exhaustion. But I fear violence. Since the government might come destroy our homes, and because nobody knows where to go, people will resist.

 

The Olympic Games are supposed to be a positive event for a city. But by acting irresponsibly toward the city’s most vulnerable communities, Rio’s politicians are giving a poor image of our city.