Brazil Faces Obstacles in Preparations for Rio Olympics - NYTimes.com


RIO DE JANEIRO — It was supposed to be a triumphant moment for Brazil.
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Rio Relocates for 2016

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Brazilian Slum Dwellers Push Back Against Olympic Development

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Mauricio Lima for The New York Times
Children flew kites in Vila Autódromo, a decades-old squatter settlement that officials plan to raze to make way for an Olympic Park. Residents refuse to leave. More Photos »
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¶ Gearing up for the 2016 Olympic Games to be held here, officials celebrated plans for a futuristic “Olympic Park,” replete with a waterside park and athlete villages, promoting it as “a new piece of the city.”

¶ There was just one problem: the 4,000 people who already live in that part of Rio de Janeiro, in a decades-old squatter settlement that the city wants to tear down. Refusing to go quietly and taking their fight to the courts and the streets, they have been a thorn in the side of the government for months.

¶ “The authorities think progress is demolishing our community just so they can host the Olympics for a few weeks,” said Cenira dos Santos, 44, who owns a home in the settlement, which is known as Vila Autódromo. “But we’ve shocked them by resisting.”

¶ For many Brazilians, holding the 2014 World Cup soccer tournament and the 2016 Olympics on Brazilian soil is the ultimate expression of the nation’s elevation on the world stage, and the events are perfect symbols of its newfound economic prowess and international standing.

¶ But some of the strengths that have enabled Brazil’s democratic rise as a regional power — the vigorous expansion of its middle class, the independence of its news media and the growing expectations of its populace — are bedeviling the preparations for both events.

¶ At stadium sites, construction workers, eager to share in the surging wealth around them and newly empowered by the nation’s historically low unemployment rate, are pushing aggressively for wage increases.

¶ Unions have already held strikes in at least eight cities where stadiums for the soccer tournament are being built or refurbished, including a stoppage in February by 500 laborers in the northeast city of Fortaleza, and a national movement of 25,000 workers at World Cup sites has threatened to go on strike.

¶ Construction delays are fueling problems with FIFA, soccer’s world governing body. The group’s secretary general, Jerome Valcke, said late last week that Brazilian organizers were falling behind, adding, “You have to push yourself, kick your arse.” Brazil’s sports minister hit back over the weekend, saying Mr. Valcke’s comments were “offensive.”

¶ Meanwhile, residents in some of the favelas, or slums, who face eviction are pulling together and standing their ground, in stark contrast to the preparations for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, where authorities easily removed hundreds of thousands of families from the city for the Games.

¶ Favela residents are using handheld video cameras and social media to get their messages across. And they are sometimes getting a helping hand from Brazil’s vibrant and crusading news media, arguably the envy of other Latin American countries.

¶ Not only have the news media and newly-created blogs focused attention on the evictions, but they have also dogged officials with their own pursuit of corruption allegations swirling around the Olympic and World Cup plans.

¶ “These events were supposed to celebrate Brazil’s accomplishments, but the opposite is happening,” said Christopher Gaffney, a professor at Rio’s Fluminense Federal University. “We’re seeing an insidious pattern of trampling on the rights of the poor and cost overruns that are a nightmare.”

¶ Brazil’s political culture has done its share in contributing to delays, with corruption scandals involving high-ranking sports officials.

¶ But the favela evictions have struck a particular nerve on the streets. A network of activists in 12 cities estimates that as many as 170,000 people may face eviction ahead of the World Cup and the Olympics. In Rio, evictions are taking place in slums across the city, including the Metrô favela near the Maracanã stadium, where residents who refused to move live amid the rubble of bulldozed homes.

¶ The evictions are stirring ghosts in a city with a long history of razing entire favelas, as in the 1960s and 1970s during Brazil’s military dictatorship. Thousands of families were moved from favelas in upscale seaside areas to the distant Cidade de Deus, the favela portrayed in the 2002 film “City of God.”


ElderHouston
Don't you love the media propaganda? "Slum dwellers?" Really? These are human beings...when will we stop oppressing people through labels? And when/where as a species, do we draw the line...does it really make sense that money, and laws protecting those with money, trump all else? Where has our humanity gone? Forgive me that I am still feeling shame over the way my ancestors forcefully obtained land from the American Indians...
March 5, 2012 at 2:57 p.m.

Vitor Rio de Janeiro
The remotion is not about the olympics, it's about making a better city and having the olympics as a excuse to do so. Certainly the remotions must be made judicisouly, within the law, and respecting the rights of these people, and they're doing so. In stark contrast to the way the government operated in China.

Moreover, in comparing the situation in Rio with strikes in Pernambuco and the violent remotions in São Paulo, the NYT displays a total lack of understanding of brazillian politics, these efforts are in no way coordinated by the federal government, whose opposition controls both local and state houses in São Paulo.
March 5, 2012 at 2:57 p.m.

Claude600USVI
Brazil needs to focus on getting the majority of its population into the 21st century and stop trying to give the rest of the world the impression that it has vast riches to the point where it can waste money on this modern Frankenstein known as the Olympics, which is no longer interesting to watch in a global culture where one can get 24-hours sports, everyday of the week. Brazil has made many major advances, but a sizable number of its population is still in poverty, and would jump at the opportunity to live in the first world.
March 5, 2012 at 1:43 p.m.RECOMMENDED2

frugalfishrio de janeiro
Someone (Stephan Zweig?) said "Brazil is the country of the future... and always will be." Well, the future now has a sell-by date--2016. The hosting of the World Cup and the Olympics are designed to focus the attentions of Brazilians on getting into the 21st Century, rather than dreaming of moving to Florida.
Changes are being made in Brazil, it is a very different country from 20 years ago, but it still needs a target date. Brazilians, when given goals, respond. Building Brasilia was decried by many, but it did accomplish (in the long run) its primary purpose--moving Brazilians away from the coast and inland, to develop the riches that are there.
Finally, Brazil does, in point of fact, have vast riches. Whether spending some of them on the World Cup and the Olympics is a good idea or not can be debated, but both projects are hugely popular here. And both are creating an incentive towards economic growth through infrastructure.
March 5, 2012 at 2:23 p.m.

patrickatnytThe True North
The Olympic Games are stupid, and exist only for marketing opportunities, and for gold-medal winners to then hawk insurance, energy drinks, and sporting equipment.
March 5, 2012 at 12:14 p.m.RECOMMENDED3

people savercalifornia
i thought that the games were meant as a sign that the world could relax every few years and get along? why should hundreds of thousands of people suffer for that? it completely defeats the purpose of the games and would take away the value. how can we call ourselves people that believe in freedom and ones own choices if we force others out of their homes just for sports. imagen being in their place.
March 5, 2012 at 11:05 a.m.RECOMMENDED2

Helena o ke kaiPlanet Earth
The Olympics have been quite unnecessary for many decades.
Professional athletes compete on teams every year..from South American soccer players playing on US teams, European hockey players on US and Canadian teams to US basketball players playing in Greece, France, and China.
Hardly anyone really pays attention to the games anymore especially the Winter games.
Quick! Name any US skier besides Bode Miller or Lindsay Vonn! Bobsledding and skeleton racing, curling...sorry, no one is interested no matter how much the networks advertise the events.
In an era when amateurs were involved in the Olympics maybe it meant something to bring all nations together every 4 years. Now the athletes train year round.
Michael Phelps has been swimming for almost 20 years and gets paid very well for lap after lap after lap. He was a "student-athlete" at Michigan taking a few courses but never pursuing a degree. There are dual meets, local meets, regional meets, 2 national championships, world meets every year..What are the Olympics for anymore?
Track and field meets are held all over the world nearly every weekend. The time for building velodromes and Olympic speed skating ovals are over. Surely there is enough sport competition to determine "king of the world!"
Brand me as a socialist, but I'd rather see this money used to build low cost housing for the people of South America...Do we really need 10 more soccer complexes or diving/ swimming complexes that will never be used?
March 5, 2012 at 11:05 a.m.RECOMMENDED3

frugalfishrio de janeiro
I've lived in Rio since 1977. The Vila Autódromo was here long before that, and it has always been, in relative terms, a better than average favela--bucolic, crime free, family oriented, located on water which, astonishingly, still produces edible fish. But no sewage, no infrastructure.
Squatters do have rights. Brazil has "usucapião" which is like adverse possession, Brazil also has eminent domain laws which ensure, at least theoretically, that private property (even that held under adverse possession) taken for public use requires fair compensation.
The debate here has been largely over what is "fair". Is it fair to uproot families and relocate them in cinderblocks many miles from where they have lived? Is it fair to pay them some cash and turn them loose in the rapacious Rio real estate market?
The other question that might be asked is whether it would be possible to add the missing infrastructure to the Vila Autódromo, create a residential neighborhood that would flourish, as part of a greater Olympic complex. That option has so far been rejected by both the City and the IOC.
March 5, 2012 at 10:48 a.m.RECOMMENDED6

MicaelaMaputo, MozambiqueNYT Pick
I agree with everything you said, but...usucapiao only works for private property. Vila do Metro occupies private property, so it could be eligible, but part of Autodromo is on public property, which is a more difficult situation. In this case, you can't use usucapiao, you would have to actually file a suit against the state of Rio de Janeiro (or municipality, whoever owns it, I forget which) for something called "concession of real right to use". It's a tougher case to win, but I believe this was done recently in Cantagalo through a titling program sponsored by FGV.
March 5, 2012 at 2:56 p.m.

The Artist FKA BakesPhiladullphia, PA
Great comment, thanks for the enlightening perspective.
March 5, 2012 at 2:57 p.m.

AustavioSLC
This issue is neither foreign to the US nor exclusive to developing nations. In the US we call imminent domain and yes, it was present in the US Olympics ( Atlanta and Salt Lake City for sure) and it is still present in any major infrastructure development projects. The main difference is the attention it gets and compensations to those impacted. For one I find that people rather say that other countries are in the wrong, when the reality is that we are also in the wrong and our neighbors are being victimized. The similarities are across the board, the poor receive scraps for what to them is a life of work and sacrifice while the rich, armed with lawyers and corruption get the lion’s share.
Imminent domain is needed for development, what is also needed is the implementation of a system that provides equal and fair remunerations to all who are impacted by development regardless of their social standing.
March 5, 2012 at 10:22 a.m.RECOMMENDED2

riomarcos Washington, DC
Rio got the bid over Chicago and other contender cities because the Pan-American games were held in Rio in 2007quite successfully, and the many stadiums (like the velodrome) built were left underused. The infrastructure was to a certain extent there already so it didn't make sense to give it to a city that didn't have it. There are a lot of politicians and NGO folks in Rio that build their careers on the backs of the poor. Setting up protests and raising hell becomes their bread and butter, and they cynically engage in it to further their careers often to the detriment of the very people they claim to defend. Which is definitely the case here. Granted, we have currently, at the Federal level in Brazil, the most corrupt class of politicians ever to come to power democratically (or undemocratically). For every year the PT is in power, Brazil slides a dozen notches down Transparency International's list of nations, we now find ourselves amongst the nations of Sub-Saharan African and South Asia (Burundi and Bangladesh) as one of the most corrupt nations on Earth. Expect more scandals, more money being laundered, and more ridiculous delays. Mr. Valcke’s comments were not “offensive” at all, they were right on point.
March 5, 2012 at 9:51 a.m.RECOMMENDED2

QEDNYC
The slum dwellers have no deed to the land and no legal lease, therefore they are squatters. It doesn't matter what improvements or modifications they have made. I doubt any are paying taxes on it.

I find it rediculous that anyone would think that a squatter should be able to impeded the lawful owner of the land's right to use the land as he sees fit within the law. Sorry, but the squatters' only choice should be to remove themselves from the occupied land or to be removed by a bulldozer.
March 5, 2012 at 9:34 a.m.RECOMMENDED2

mcmiljrMS
How unkind of you. As for the legalistic point of "title," in the U.S. we have these things called adverse possession and unjust enrichment, which would give the "squatters" either a claim to title or a claim to reimbursement for the improvements they've made to the land.

This reminds me of the controversy over Chavez Ravine (if I'm spelling that correctly). I guess my thought is: So long as a neutral body decides something along the lines of: the project is important for the public good, the removals are necessary for the project, and the persons to be removed are being relocated or compensated in a fair way, then I would be okay with it.
March 5, 2012 at 9:49 a.m.RECOMMENDED4

QEDNYC
The squatters were not asked to make the improvements, so they should not be reimbursed for them. If anything, one could argue that they have devalued the land. Of course, the squatters are welcome to take this up in court, rather than the streets.
March 5, 2012 at 11:05 a.m.RECOMMENDED2

MicaelaMaputo, MozambiqueNYT Pick
Actually, former mayor Leonel Brizola granted titles to many of the families in Autodromo over a decade ago.

You may also want to brush up on your Brazilian law education; in Brazil, 5 years of consident occupation of land - no matter if illegally - grants you the right to file for ownership in most cases (see: usucapiao, concession of real right to use, many other pieces of legislation from the 2001 and 1988 constitutions)
March 5, 2012 at 2:56 p.m.

ask123 NYC
The following is not a justification for the evictions, but, still, it must be said: saying that favela Metrô & Vila Autódromo are not "areas of risk" is ridiculous. These areas are far beyond what we, in the U.S., would call "condemned." First, the houses are crumbling & unsafe. If there were an earthquake, like in Haiti (even one a fraction of the strength of the Hatian quake), these favelas would be a disaster zone & hundreds or thousands might die. Second, these neighborhoods have little to no plumbing. It's an environmental fiasco that, along with other factors, is destroying the natural waters around Rio (which is already undrinkable). And, third, the roads are degenerate. Favelas, which often sit on hilly or undulating land, carry a risk for flooding & landslides (as we saw to devestating effect in the mountainous areas around Teresópolis & Petrópolis (cities that lie within an hour of Rio) where hundreds were killed in mudslides last year.

The "architect" in this segment who claims that there is nothing wrong with these neighborhoods should be ashamed to put his credentials beside such a statement. He may have a social reason for supporting the favela -- which is fine, by the way -- but to say, as an architect, that these neighborhoods are sound and/or suitable for habitation is fraudulent. If he wants to champion a social cause -- a comendable one, in fact -- he should not do it under the auspices of his architectural credentials. Doing so is dangerous & misleading.
March 5, 2012 at 8:47 a.m.RECOMMENDED6
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ask123 NYC
As I am now saying for the third time, I am not speaking to the government's case. How many times do I need to say this: I do not agree with the eminent domain argument and do not think that it is simply OK to evict a group of people in order to satisfy irrelevant desires of the government. So don't twist my words and fabricate my arguments.

There are many arguments as to why the government should quit their attempts at eviction, primary among them the fact that displacing a population leads to a host of problems and hardships for the residents. But, saying that these neighborhoos are hunky dory from an architectural and infrastructural standpoint is NOT among them. If you are using the "favela standard," then yes, Autódromo and Metrô are sound and safe, much more so than countless other much-worse-off favelas. But, if you are using actual achitectural and engineering standards, then these neighborhoods are merely passable, and often not even that.
March 5, 2012 at 2:57 p.m.RECOMMENDED1

ask123 NYC
I get it. The architect doesn't want to see the government enact an eminent domain statute. No reasonable person -- including me -- wants that to happen. But, if that is what you believe, then make arguments that actually exist... like the thousands of social arguments that support these residents staying in their homes. Don't bring yourself down to the level of the government and fabricate an argument about engineering.

P.S. You say the residents are “ill-compensated.” I don’t know if that’s true. The compensation may in fact be much more than the value of the homes from which the residents are being displaced. Again, this is NOT an excuse for the government, but, rather, an exercise to demonstrate that you, like the architect in the video, are resorting to excuses that don’t hold water. There are COUNTLESS legitimate arguments in favor of these residents. Use one of them instead of making one up to suit your purposes. The latter only weakens your position.
March 5, 2012 at 2:57 p.m.RECOMMENDED1

ABEvanston
What if, instead of being treated like a herd of cattle that could simply be relocated at the government's will, slum-dwellers were given the opportunity to solve some of their own problems? What if the government consulted with these folks, giving them a voice in whether or not they would relocate, and, if so, to where? What if NGOs provided training in construction of housing and infrastructure with local, renewable resources, so that the slums could be rebuilt in keeping with local traditions, not all at once, perhaps, but over time, either where they are now, or in another, agreed-upon location? In this way, not only would the people have better housing, but they would also have livelihoods. What if these people were given a voice in their own lives?

They weren't; but they are speaking up anyway. The poor are not going to go away quietly because Brazil wants to show the world a picture of prosperity. Guess what, Brazil: We don't care about another shiny, new stadium. Show us, instead, a picture of democracy and compassion at work. And yes, we in the United States have a long, long way to go toward that, as well.

http://www.thinkbuilddwell.blogspot.com/
March 5, 2012 at 8:43 a.m.RECOMMENDED6

KirstenPA
" This is typical behavior to be expected from any major Capitalist nation (Brazil just now joining in this club); where the almighty dollar rules. "

Actually, China did the exact same thing and it is a communist nation.
March 5, 2012 at 8:29 a.m.RECOMMENDED3

aaaThreeAsMt St Helens
Make sure that the lowland Tibetans from India can start a riots.
March 5, 2012 at 8:29 a.m.

DeodatoBrasilia DF, Brazil
Welcome to the real Brazil!
March 5, 2012 at 8:29 a.m.RECOMMENDED1

belfagor san francisco
so much for "Ordem e Progresso"
March 5, 2012 at 8:29 a.m.

MLH Delaware
Its a two edged sword. Brazil wants the Olympics to further stimulate their economy as well as national recognition. The poverty of those in their slums is something they have long not addressed adequately, to move the plight of those who live there forward. It is up to them: and, I sincerely hope they use the Olympics to address the enormous human problem in Rio's slums positively rather than simply try to erase these humans who are only trying to survive.
March 5, 2012 at 8:17 a.m.RECOMMENDED3

jay65new york, new york
Under Mayor Blooberg's plan for the Olympics, NO ONE would have been evicted, because it would have involved building on the rail yards platform, upgrading other venues, using our parks and beaches. Is Brazil really better governed than it always had been, we shall see.
March 5, 2012 at 7:56 a.m.

Daniel SmithWestbury, NYNYT Pick
This is typical behavior to be expected from any major Capitalist nation (Brazil just now joining in this club); where the almighty dollar rules. The lives of innocent residents are considered worth less than sports; they are considered a "thorn in one's side"--disgusting!
March 5, 2012 at 7:55 a.m.RECOMMENDED2

KirstenPA
Actually, China did the exact same thing and it is a communist nation.
March 5, 2012 at 8:29 a.m.RECOMMENDED3

KirstenPA
Actually, China did the exact same thing and it is a communist nation.
March 5, 2012 at 8:29 a.m.RECOMMENDED1

Listen TomeWashington, DC
They are doing the same thing in Tampa to get ready for the Republican Convention. The homeless are being run out of town and a woman can now be arrested for just looking like a prostitute.
March 5, 2012 at 7:55 a.m.RECOMMENDED3

DMV74Washington, DC
I see they plan on arresting a lot of Tampa women. Between the countless strip clubs, Ybor City on a weekend night, and the proximity of beaches when aren't the women there dressed scantly? (Speaking as a former Tampa girl who loved the beach and wandering the 7th Avenue strip). Anyway every city cleans up when a big event comes to town. This is not just a Tampa or Brazil thing.
March 5, 2012 at 8:30 a.m.RECOMMENDED1

Uziel Nogueira Florianopolis, SC - Brazil
Brazil's political leadership and business elite are facing opportunities and challenges in two major key events: The World Cup (2014) and the Olympic Games (2016). The final result -success or failure- will determine whether Brazil is ready to play its natural role of leadership in Latin America. Is Brazil ready for prime time or not? the MAIN challenges are:1. lack of capable high and middle level public sector officials to supervise the infrastructure projects; 2. endemic corruption -combined with technical incompetence - that affects public work in two ways: many infrastructure projects are left unfinished and/or or poor quality that must be redone many times over.

As a Brazilian expatriate - quite aware of the strengths and weaknesses of my country - the final result will go along with our historical tradition, legacy of Portugal. Neither a success like China's Olympic Games of 2008 nor a failure like India's Asian Games of 2010. Brazil is doing well and in the right track to become an interesting place to work and raise a family. However, before the dream comes through, a lot of work remains to be done by the generation of Leonardo, my son and Clarissa, my daughter.

Uzi Nogueira
nogueirauzi@hotmai.com
March 5, 2012 at 7:54 a.m.

Voice02MD
Is this article the beginning of a campaign to bring the Olympics back to Chicago? We lost, let Brazil have its turn and let's support their efforts. As any other country that have hosted the games, Brazil have problems that need to be addressed.
March 5, 2012 at 7:54 a.m.RECOMMENDED2

laMissyBoston, MA
The same thing occurred in Mexico in 1968. See Elena Poniatowska's coverage in "La noche de Tlatelolco". See also youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=du-5ts2TgG0
March 5, 2012 at 7:54 a.m.

Orrin RothsteinWest, VA
People die of hunger in the USA too. The problem is in all of these countries, the USA included, there are no limits for the top. So the top and elites prosperity eventually comes at the expense of the poor, the weak and middle classes.

There comes a point when the top and elites are too heavy for the bottom and middle class to carry any longer. Why not truly solve these problems? Answer because no one with power ever tells the top layer and elites NO. They tell the poor, working poor and middle classes NO all the time!

I would not move either. This is where they live so deal with it!
March 5, 2012 at 7:27 a.m.RECOMMENDED10

Jimmy McWay Down South
Hosting a Soccer World Cup - where the whole country is the host, and many cities can benefit - is more appropriate for a country with economic challenges than is hosting an Olympic Games, which gets concentrated in one city.

The pressures leading up to 2014, and then especially to 2016, will be enormous.

If Brazil falls too far behind in its preparations for 2014, we here in South Africa stand ready to do it again. What a great time we had in 2010. And like Nixon, we're tanned, rested and ready....
March 5, 2012 at 7:25 a.m.RECOMMENDED1

Darkwing DuckVA
FLAG
The World Cup resulted in similar dislocations in South Africa -- see "Tin Town."