Gearing up to make my first trip to a favela, I’m feeling a little nervous. I have been given a tip-off about an ex-BBC correspondent called Bob Nadkarni (described as “a little eccentric”), who was the first Westerner to take up residence in one of Rio’s notorious slums in the 1990s – not only building his own house-cum-boutique hotel and hosting wildly popular jazz nights (www.jazzrio.com/en), but also taking it upon himself to drive out the gun-wielding drug dealers that ran the place.
After being dropped off at the top of a steep hill at the entrance to the Tavares Bastos slum, I follow the hand-painted signs through a complex of narrow dirt alleyways lined by ramshackle brick and tin houses. A dog barks at me through a gate and, farther along, a woman sits in her doorway as a small girl plays with her hair.
“I expected you earlier,” is the first thing Bob says as he emerges from the shadows, before grumpily complaining that the electricity is out again – a common problem that can last for days, especially when it’s being bootlegged from the grid via bundles of black wire strung up through the streets.
His place is called the Maze for good reason. Still a work in progress, the jerry-built, Gaudi-style structure is made up of numerous bedrooms – three for his family, the others for guests – interconnected with spiral staircases and passageways, while up on the flat roof, which is tiled with coloured pieces of broken china, there is a small tower with steps leading to a seating area. The view is magnificent – the favela tumbles down to the blue of Guanabara Bay and the unmistakable form of Sugarloaf Mountain in the distance.
To the right, farther up the hillside, is an imposing grey building – the headquarters of the Batalhao de Operacoes Policiais Especiais police force. In 2000, Bob won his campaign to have the government establish an Elite Squad base here – a first for any favela in the city. Until this time, the slums were run by militia, and these fragile communities were frequently turned into feral battlegrounds. It was with Bob’s help that a precedent for peace was set and, as life in Tavares Bastos improved, eight years on the authorities initiated a large-scale “favela pacification project” to bring law and order to other communities.
About a third of Rio’s six million people live in slums, but since 2008, more than 30 favelas – with populations equating to about 500,000 – have been “pacified”. The operation begins with the Elite Squad rolling in with tanks and riot shields on a publicly broadcast date, and driving out or arresting the criminals. When their work is done – with amazingly few shots fired – young, specially trained Pacifying Police Units (UPPs) are assigned as a permanent presence. Public services such as wifi, sewage systems, fresh water, electricity and cable TV are delivered as part of the “social invasion” and, in some communities, such as Complexo do Alemao, education centres unveiled with free access to computers and training courses.
What effect is it all having? A spokesman for the government’s Public Security Secretariat says: “In places where the UPPs have been around for longer, the general mood among residents is that life has improved a lot. The job done by the UPP has been acknowledged by the community, which feels more trustful and thus collaborates with the police.”
Tour guide Arnaldo Bichucher acknowledges that the project may not be perfect, but it is ultimately an improvement: “There are still drug dealers in the pacified favelas but they have to hide – they can’t walk around with AK47s any more and sell cocaine openly to big queues of people. They can’t feel they are the owners of the place. They don’t make the same amount of money. Now the idols for the little kids are the Elite Cops.”
Not only an important step for Brazil from a humanitarian standpoint, but as a 2009 cable from the US Consulate in Rio published by Wikileaks reveals (www.tinyurl.com/lmjdofe), pacification is also anticipated to bring in new business and boost the economy. The document reads: “There are significant economic interests at stake, with some analysts estimating Rio de Janeiro’s economy would grow by R$38 billion [US$17.25 billion] should favelas be reincorporated into mainstream society and markets… Some economists have forecast an increase of R$90 million [US$38 million] in new property and service taxes that would go towards the Rio municipal government, should all favelas come under the authority of Rio state.”
Positioned on the sun-kissed shores of the roaring Atlantic Ocean, the second-biggest city in Brazil weaves its way between steep, verdant hills – it is to these that the favelas cling, and from where the poorest Cariocas (locals) enjoy the best views. (They are trumped only by Christ the Redeemer, standing on the summit of Corcovado Mountain).
The wealthy, on the other hand, live down low in districts such as Flamengo, Leblon and Barra da Tijuca, as well as in the picturesque Santa Teresa district, whose winding, cobbled streets are high above the tower blocks of Centro. Rio’s famous beaches – Ipanema and Copacabana – are abuzz at weekends, with bronzed locals crammed together on chairs, under umbrellas, frolicking in the surf and playing football. During the 2016 Olympics, Copacabana will host swimming, triathlon and beach volleyball events.
Despite a visible divide between rich and poor, Rio is a burgeoning industrial hub built on shipbuilding, petrochemicals, steel, pharmaceuticals, oil and gas. Two of Brazil’s biggest oil companies – Petrobras and Vale – are headquartered here, and the US’s Halliburton and Schlumberger, as well as the UK’s BP, also have a presence. In June, crude-oil production began from the huge deep-sea Lula Nordeste field, which was recently discovered under a thick layer of salt and is expected to fill 8.3 billion barrels. In the future, Brazil may become one of the world’s biggest producers of black gold. That said, as favela tour guide Marcelo Armstrong (www.favelatour.com.br) warns: “People think Brazil has this sparkling, booming economy but there is still a lot to be done.”
Paulo Senise, executive director for the Rio Convention and Visitors Bureau (www.rcvb.com.br), says: “In Rio there has always been a good relationship between the residents of the favelas and residents in the city itself because those in the favelas are a good workforce in the hospitality industry, and also for domestic employment such as maids, nannies, cooks and drivers – and even more so now with the pacification. There is a high demand for workers in most sectors – each hotel room creates five jobs so it should benefit those communities directly.”
He adds: “Pacification also creates the right environment for the small entrepreneur. Before it was impossible to run any business in them, but now we have people [from the outside] building pousadas in the favelas – some are B&Bs, some are boutique design hotels.” Located in Favela do Vidigal, which was pacified in 2011, the 11-room Mirante do Arvrao hotel opened this August and was designed by renowned local architect Helio Pellegrino. In many such areas, real-estate values have also increased by up to 50 per cent.
Eduardo Paes, mayor of Rio de Janeiro, gives his perspective: “For decades, several areas of the city were controlled by organised crime, and violence was a constant threat to citizens and visitors all around the city. In such an environment, it was quite natural that businesses and people would seek somewhere safer to invest or to live and work. The reality until recently was that of a ‘divided city’ between those who live in favelas and everybody else. We are trying to change that by integrating the city – so far, we have invested R$2.1 billion [US$885 million].”
Cable cars over the Alemao favela
Chris Pickard, chairman of the Latin American Travel Association, lived in Rio between 1977 and 1999 and continues to return frequently. He says: “It’s been extraordinary. I would have been one of the first people to say I didn’t think it was going to work, but it has changed whole sections of the city, which before were basically no-go areas. These include not only those favelas near the tourist areas but even downtown Rio. When I was there a couple of weeks ago, they were opening up yet another of these cable car systems to help people get up and down the hills. It’s so simple and so clever. They are bringing in opportunities and opening up those areas for people to live in.”
There are still hundreds of other slums under the thumb of dealers but as the process continues, it is hoped that another 70 favelas will be pacified over the next two-and-a-half years – timely given that next year Rio will host the FIFA World Cup and, in 2016, the Olympic Games. These events will attract more than 1.5 million visitors between them, so ensuring safety for all will be paramount. According to Rio’s Public Security Secretariat, there was a 29 per cent drop in homicides in the city between 2009 and 2011, so it would seem pacification is already having an impact.
In preparation for the influx of visitors, the hotel market is expanding rapidly. At present there is only a handful of five-star hotels in the city – the sea-facing Copacabana Palace is the most iconic, having opened in the 1920s. It underwent a complete renovation last year and has 241 rooms with free wifi, a dazzling outdoor pool and an award-winning Italian restauarant, Cipriani.
Then there is the 245-room JW Marriott and the 388-room Sofitel in Copacabana, the 89-room oceanfront Fasano in Ipanema, and the 44-room Relais & Châteaux Santa Teresa. Four-star properties include Sheraton, Golden Tulip and Novotel. Accor has a strong presence here, with brands including Ibis and Mercure, while the fastest-growing Brazilian chain is Windsor Hotels, with 12 venues in the city.
Meanwhile, 70 new hotels are in the pipeline, more than half of which are four- or five-star. “This means 18,000 new rooms on top of the 29,000 we already have,” Senise says. Chains such as Hyatt and Hilton are confirmed to open in time for the Olympics, with Barra da Tijuca on the southwesterly shores of Rio – the site for the Olympic Village – being the hot new area for development. (Windsor is planning two more hotels here for 2014).
As well as having the biggest beach in the city, which stretches for 18 km, Barra has one of the largest convention centres in South America, Riocentro, plus more than 20 shopping malls and the recently inaugurated Cidade das Artes, a 90,000 sqm entertainment venue and 1,800-seat concert hall. Rio Olympic Park will host more than 20 sports during the Games, and the Olympic Arena, Maria Lenk Aquatic Centre and Olympic Velodrome are also located here.
The Museum of Tomorrow
More than R$8 billion (US$3.4 billion) is being invested in the waterside Porto Maravilha (Marvellous Port) zone. Still a dusty construction site when I visited, Brazil’s largest public-private partnership will see the demolition of the ugly Perimetral viaduct, the building of the Binary Highway, 4 km of tunnels and 650,000 sqm of new pavement, plus the unveiling of a Central Light Rail Transit system and two museums – the Rio Art Museum opened in March and the 15,000 sqm Museum of Tomorrow will debut in 2014. “By undertaking all of this, we aim to revolutionise the port’s urban mobility and to transform the area into a tourist, business and residential hub,” says Mayor Paes.
Business magnate Donald Trump has also announced plans to build the “biggest urban office complex” of all the BRIC countries in Porto Maravilha. Trump Towers Rio will consist of five 38-floor skyscrapers worth more than US$2.5 billion, two of which should be ready by 2016.
In June, the 78,000-capacity Maracana stadium – a key venue for both the World Cup and Olympics – reopened (despite numerous problems in the run-up) after a multimillion-dollar transformation just in time for its first match, a friendly between England and Brazil. Rio’s Joao Havelange stadium has had worse luck, having to close in March after it was discovered there was a risk its roof could collapse in strong winds. In February, a 20,000 sqm retail and convention complex in Marina da Gloria was given the go-ahead, again with a 2016 deadline.
Unless you are rollerblading, skateboarding, jogging or strolling along Rio’s seafront promenades, getting around can be a challenge during rush hour. But additional public transport projects include a space-age VLT tram connecting 42 stations throughout downtown by 2016, and the BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) system. Running along the Transoeste corridor connecting Barra da Tijuca to Santa Cruz, it was unveiled last summer, and three other routes – Transbrasil, Transcarioca and Transolimpica – are on the way.
Meanwhile, Rio has partnered with IBM to create a high-tech “mission control” fed with live footage from 900 cameras around the city, enabling authorities to monitor roads, buildings and bridges, and react immediately when there are landslides, flooding or other problems such as overcrowding during public events like Carnival. In vulnerable hillside favelas, alarms now sound when heavy rain is on the way to give locals as much chance as possible to retreat to safety.
The NASA-like Rio Operations Centre, which opened in December 2010, integrates staff from more than 30 agencies and constantly gathers data from sensors and real-time maps – as a consequence, it has improved emergency response time by 30 per cent. Pedro Junqueira, its chief executive, says: “The centre was designed to improve the quality of life throughout the city but not just in poor communities. By integrating services from different agencies into a single space, the City Hall seeks to expedite the service demands of the population and provide a better city to live in.”
I spend my last night in Rio walking along the ocean front. When I come to the rocky outcrop known as Arpoador, which separates Ipanema from Copacabana, I discover a strange spectacle – hundreds of people raising their arms in worship of the full moon above. I pause to listen to their chanting and then turn towards the beach, still busy despite the blackness of the sea beyond.
Change is afoot in Rio and a renewed sense of optimism is in the air. Whether or not you have tickets for the World Cup, or are planning to book them for the Olympics, coming here on business is likely to surpass your expectations.
Visit www.cidadeolimpica.com, www.rio-negocios.com/en or www.rcvb.com.br
After being dropped off at the top of a steep hill at the entrance to the Tavares Bastos slum, I follow the hand-painted signs through a complex of narrow dirt alleyways lined by ramshackle brick and tin houses. A dog barks at me through a gate and, farther along, a woman sits in her doorway as a small girl plays with her hair.
“I expected you earlier,” is the first thing Bob says as he emerges from the shadows, before grumpily complaining that the electricity is out again – a common problem that can last for days, especially when it’s being bootlegged from the grid via bundles of black wire strung up through the streets.
His place is called the Maze for good reason. Still a work in progress, the jerry-built, Gaudi-style structure is made up of numerous bedrooms – three for his family, the others for guests – interconnected with spiral staircases and passageways, while up on the flat roof, which is tiled with coloured pieces of broken china, there is a small tower with steps leading to a seating area. The view is magnificent – the favela tumbles down to the blue of Guanabara Bay and the unmistakable form of Sugarloaf Mountain in the distance.
To the right, farther up the hillside, is an imposing grey building – the headquarters of the Batalhao de Operacoes Policiais Especiais police force. In 2000, Bob won his campaign to have the government establish an Elite Squad base here – a first for any favela in the city. Until this time, the slums were run by militia, and these fragile communities were frequently turned into feral battlegrounds. It was with Bob’s help that a precedent for peace was set and, as life in Tavares Bastos improved, eight years on the authorities initiated a large-scale “favela pacification project” to bring law and order to other communities.
About a third of Rio’s six million people live in slums, but since 2008, more than 30 favelas – with populations equating to about 500,000 – have been “pacified”. The operation begins with the Elite Squad rolling in with tanks and riot shields on a publicly broadcast date, and driving out or arresting the criminals. When their work is done – with amazingly few shots fired – young, specially trained Pacifying Police Units (UPPs) are assigned as a permanent presence. Public services such as wifi, sewage systems, fresh water, electricity and cable TV are delivered as part of the “social invasion” and, in some communities, such as Complexo do Alemao, education centres unveiled with free access to computers and training courses.
What effect is it all having? A spokesman for the government’s Public Security Secretariat says: “In places where the UPPs have been around for longer, the general mood among residents is that life has improved a lot. The job done by the UPP has been acknowledged by the community, which feels more trustful and thus collaborates with the police.”
Tour guide Arnaldo Bichucher acknowledges that the project may not be perfect, but it is ultimately an improvement: “There are still drug dealers in the pacified favelas but they have to hide – they can’t walk around with AK47s any more and sell cocaine openly to big queues of people. They can’t feel they are the owners of the place. They don’t make the same amount of money. Now the idols for the little kids are the Elite Cops.”
Not only an important step for Brazil from a humanitarian standpoint, but as a 2009 cable from the US Consulate in Rio published by Wikileaks reveals (www.tinyurl.com/lmjdofe), pacification is also anticipated to bring in new business and boost the economy. The document reads: “There are significant economic interests at stake, with some analysts estimating Rio de Janeiro’s economy would grow by R$38 billion [US$17.25 billion] should favelas be reincorporated into mainstream society and markets… Some economists have forecast an increase of R$90 million [US$38 million] in new property and service taxes that would go towards the Rio municipal government, should all favelas come under the authority of Rio state.”
Positioned on the sun-kissed shores of the roaring Atlantic Ocean, the second-biggest city in Brazil weaves its way between steep, verdant hills – it is to these that the favelas cling, and from where the poorest Cariocas (locals) enjoy the best views. (They are trumped only by Christ the Redeemer, standing on the summit of Corcovado Mountain).
The wealthy, on the other hand, live down low in districts such as Flamengo, Leblon and Barra da Tijuca, as well as in the picturesque Santa Teresa district, whose winding, cobbled streets are high above the tower blocks of Centro. Rio’s famous beaches – Ipanema and Copacabana – are abuzz at weekends, with bronzed locals crammed together on chairs, under umbrellas, frolicking in the surf and playing football. During the 2016 Olympics, Copacabana will host swimming, triathlon and beach volleyball events.
Despite a visible divide between rich and poor, Rio is a burgeoning industrial hub built on shipbuilding, petrochemicals, steel, pharmaceuticals, oil and gas. Two of Brazil’s biggest oil companies – Petrobras and Vale – are headquartered here, and the US’s Halliburton and Schlumberger, as well as the UK’s BP, also have a presence. In June, crude-oil production began from the huge deep-sea Lula Nordeste field, which was recently discovered under a thick layer of salt and is expected to fill 8.3 billion barrels. In the future, Brazil may become one of the world’s biggest producers of black gold. That said, as favela tour guide Marcelo Armstrong (www.favelatour.com.br) warns: “People think Brazil has this sparkling, booming economy but there is still a lot to be done.”
Paulo Senise, executive director for the Rio Convention and Visitors Bureau (www.rcvb.com.br), says: “In Rio there has always been a good relationship between the residents of the favelas and residents in the city itself because those in the favelas are a good workforce in the hospitality industry, and also for domestic employment such as maids, nannies, cooks and drivers – and even more so now with the pacification. There is a high demand for workers in most sectors – each hotel room creates five jobs so it should benefit those communities directly.”
He adds: “Pacification also creates the right environment for the small entrepreneur. Before it was impossible to run any business in them, but now we have people [from the outside] building pousadas in the favelas – some are B&Bs, some are boutique design hotels.” Located in Favela do Vidigal, which was pacified in 2011, the 11-room Mirante do Arvrao hotel opened this August and was designed by renowned local architect Helio Pellegrino. In many such areas, real-estate values have also increased by up to 50 per cent.
Eduardo Paes, mayor of Rio de Janeiro, gives his perspective: “For decades, several areas of the city were controlled by organised crime, and violence was a constant threat to citizens and visitors all around the city. In such an environment, it was quite natural that businesses and people would seek somewhere safer to invest or to live and work. The reality until recently was that of a ‘divided city’ between those who live in favelas and everybody else. We are trying to change that by integrating the city – so far, we have invested R$2.1 billion [US$885 million].”
Cable cars over the Alemao favela
Chris Pickard, chairman of the Latin American Travel Association, lived in Rio between 1977 and 1999 and continues to return frequently. He says: “It’s been extraordinary. I would have been one of the first people to say I didn’t think it was going to work, but it has changed whole sections of the city, which before were basically no-go areas. These include not only those favelas near the tourist areas but even downtown Rio. When I was there a couple of weeks ago, they were opening up yet another of these cable car systems to help people get up and down the hills. It’s so simple and so clever. They are bringing in opportunities and opening up those areas for people to live in.”
There are still hundreds of other slums under the thumb of dealers but as the process continues, it is hoped that another 70 favelas will be pacified over the next two-and-a-half years – timely given that next year Rio will host the FIFA World Cup and, in 2016, the Olympic Games. These events will attract more than 1.5 million visitors between them, so ensuring safety for all will be paramount. According to Rio’s Public Security Secretariat, there was a 29 per cent drop in homicides in the city between 2009 and 2011, so it would seem pacification is already having an impact.
In preparation for the influx of visitors, the hotel market is expanding rapidly. At present there is only a handful of five-star hotels in the city – the sea-facing Copacabana Palace is the most iconic, having opened in the 1920s. It underwent a complete renovation last year and has 241 rooms with free wifi, a dazzling outdoor pool and an award-winning Italian restauarant, Cipriani.
Then there is the 245-room JW Marriott and the 388-room Sofitel in Copacabana, the 89-room oceanfront Fasano in Ipanema, and the 44-room Relais & Châteaux Santa Teresa. Four-star properties include Sheraton, Golden Tulip and Novotel. Accor has a strong presence here, with brands including Ibis and Mercure, while the fastest-growing Brazilian chain is Windsor Hotels, with 12 venues in the city.
Meanwhile, 70 new hotels are in the pipeline, more than half of which are four- or five-star. “This means 18,000 new rooms on top of the 29,000 we already have,” Senise says. Chains such as Hyatt and Hilton are confirmed to open in time for the Olympics, with Barra da Tijuca on the southwesterly shores of Rio – the site for the Olympic Village – being the hot new area for development. (Windsor is planning two more hotels here for 2014).
As well as having the biggest beach in the city, which stretches for 18 km, Barra has one of the largest convention centres in South America, Riocentro, plus more than 20 shopping malls and the recently inaugurated Cidade das Artes, a 90,000 sqm entertainment venue and 1,800-seat concert hall. Rio Olympic Park will host more than 20 sports during the Games, and the Olympic Arena, Maria Lenk Aquatic Centre and Olympic Velodrome are also located here.
The Museum of Tomorrow
More than R$8 billion (US$3.4 billion) is being invested in the waterside Porto Maravilha (Marvellous Port) zone. Still a dusty construction site when I visited, Brazil’s largest public-private partnership will see the demolition of the ugly Perimetral viaduct, the building of the Binary Highway, 4 km of tunnels and 650,000 sqm of new pavement, plus the unveiling of a Central Light Rail Transit system and two museums – the Rio Art Museum opened in March and the 15,000 sqm Museum of Tomorrow will debut in 2014. “By undertaking all of this, we aim to revolutionise the port’s urban mobility and to transform the area into a tourist, business and residential hub,” says Mayor Paes.
Business magnate Donald Trump has also announced plans to build the “biggest urban office complex” of all the BRIC countries in Porto Maravilha. Trump Towers Rio will consist of five 38-floor skyscrapers worth more than US$2.5 billion, two of which should be ready by 2016.
In June, the 78,000-capacity Maracana stadium – a key venue for both the World Cup and Olympics – reopened (despite numerous problems in the run-up) after a multimillion-dollar transformation just in time for its first match, a friendly between England and Brazil. Rio’s Joao Havelange stadium has had worse luck, having to close in March after it was discovered there was a risk its roof could collapse in strong winds. In February, a 20,000 sqm retail and convention complex in Marina da Gloria was given the go-ahead, again with a 2016 deadline.
Unless you are rollerblading, skateboarding, jogging or strolling along Rio’s seafront promenades, getting around can be a challenge during rush hour. But additional public transport projects include a space-age VLT tram connecting 42 stations throughout downtown by 2016, and the BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) system. Running along the Transoeste corridor connecting Barra da Tijuca to Santa Cruz, it was unveiled last summer, and three other routes – Transbrasil, Transcarioca and Transolimpica – are on the way.
Meanwhile, Rio has partnered with IBM to create a high-tech “mission control” fed with live footage from 900 cameras around the city, enabling authorities to monitor roads, buildings and bridges, and react immediately when there are landslides, flooding or other problems such as overcrowding during public events like Carnival. In vulnerable hillside favelas, alarms now sound when heavy rain is on the way to give locals as much chance as possible to retreat to safety.
The NASA-like Rio Operations Centre, which opened in December 2010, integrates staff from more than 30 agencies and constantly gathers data from sensors and real-time maps – as a consequence, it has improved emergency response time by 30 per cent. Pedro Junqueira, its chief executive, says: “The centre was designed to improve the quality of life throughout the city but not just in poor communities. By integrating services from different agencies into a single space, the City Hall seeks to expedite the service demands of the population and provide a better city to live in.”
I spend my last night in Rio walking along the ocean front. When I come to the rocky outcrop known as Arpoador, which separates Ipanema from Copacabana, I discover a strange spectacle – hundreds of people raising their arms in worship of the full moon above. I pause to listen to their chanting and then turn towards the beach, still busy despite the blackness of the sea beyond.
Change is afoot in Rio and a renewed sense of optimism is in the air. Whether or not you have tickets for the World Cup, or are planning to book them for the Olympics, coming here on business is likely to surpass your expectations.
Visit www.cidadeolimpica.com, www.rio-negocios.com/en or www.rcvb.com.br 
