Brazils poorest residents at indefinite risk of losing livelihood in preparation for Rio 2016
Thousands of
Rio’s poorest residents are living in fear of losing their homes to forced
evictions that are destroying their communities. 170,000 Brazilians are at risk
of losing—or have already lost—their homes in forced evictions tied to
preparations for the World Cup in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016. Forced
evictions happen primarily in highly valued areas of cities, resulting in the
expulsion of the poorest people to the outskirts, where there is no access to
basic public services.
Humans rights
group WITNESS have made a short documentary about the evictions highlighting
just how the people of Brazil’s shanty towns are currently suffering. WITNESS partner ANCOP is organizing several
events around the Rio+20 Conference to send a message that development that
violates human rights is NOT development, and Brazilian government must commit
to upholding the law and international human rights obligations by putting an
end to forced evictions tied to mega events.
With that being said many of the tenants that have lost their homes without warning still haven’t been given any compensation or answers. With many of them planning to protest you really get the feeling that these people are seen as disposable.
The 2016 Olympics coupled with the 2014 FIFA World Cup has brought a lot of human traffic to the financial capital of Brazil. However, the forced eviction is tempering the nerve of the people who are either affected by it or are indirectly involved in the labour chain.
More than
3,000 troops launched a pre-dawn assault on Brazil's largest shantytown ,
driving heavily-armed gang members from Rio's Rocinha favela as part of an
continuing effort to clean up the 2016 Olympic city. At
around 4.06am armoured personnel carriers clattered into the slum. Residents had hung banners asking for peace
from their balconies and windows but special forces met no resistance as they
piled into the slum's alleys past shuttered shops, stray dogs and heaps of
rubbish.
Susanna Lira
a Brazilian born film maker said ‘’ I have witnessed how the city is changing, and
changing fast, as a result. Huge infrastructure projects have been launched to
prepare the city for these events. In order to make way for new highways and
transport infrastructure many families have lost their homes.’’
So who are listening to the voices of the vulnerable?
According to
the City of Rio, 140,000 people from the most vulnerable areas will be able to
benefit from the ‘’Alliance for Sport and Development’’ which aims to better
the lives of many children. This initiative has brought together key partners FC
Barcelona Foundation, NBA and Inter-American Development Bank who say this WILL
improve the lives of underprivileged children and youth in Rio de Janeiro.
‘’The
project will contribute to the legacy of the World Cup and the Olympics and to
an enduring development impact in Rio and in Brazil,” said IDB President Luis
Alberto Moreno. “The IDB has helped train thousands of youths in our sports for
development programs and we´ve seen how sports can help a community develop in
an integral way.”
With that being said many of the tenants that have lost their homes without warning still haven’t been given any compensation or answers. With many of them planning to protest you really get the feeling that these people are seen as disposable.
With
similarities to Beijing 2008 Olympics where 1.5 million residents going through
the same scenario , the clear up will
continue indefinably with or without protest.
“Hosting the
Olympics should be a cause for celebration not fear,” says Yvette J. Alberdingk
Thijm, Executive Director of WITNESS, a human rights group that did a short
documentary about the evictions. “Forced evictions undermine the mission and
spirit of the games. We call on
government officials to immediately put a stop to the practice of forced
evictions.”
The 2016 Olympics coupled with the 2014 FIFA World Cup has brought a lot of human traffic to the financial capital of Brazil. However, the forced eviction is tempering the nerve of the people who are either affected by it or are indirectly involved in the labour chain.
Mega event
clean ups like Beijing & Rio are seen as acceptable but London 2012 didn’t
have a mega clean up and I’m sure if that was the British nations voices would
have been heard . So why is it acceptable in countries where the vulnerable and
less fortunate doesn’t get heard.
It seems
that the idea is for Rio to become a more ecstatically pleasing capital where
the original culture of slums and shanty towns will be wiped out for a more
higher classed lifestyle.
Among many
companies capitalizing on a new look
Rio, Donald Trump has announced plans for the largest office complex in Brazil
as part of the controversial redevelopment .
With the
redevelopment being obviously money motivated the hope for residents over the
next few years is bleak. With the mind-set of the authorities thinking progress
is demolishing community’s just so they
can host the Olympics for a few weeks , many of the residents know that the
peoples country has become nothing but a cooperate foundation for offshore
investments with a ‘’your with us or
against us ‘’ attitude.
Will the
IOC will pick a more established country
for Olympics 2020 ? Or will it be more
communities being forced from their homes to make way for profitable
arenas and international investments .