TOPIC: World Cup: Rio favelas being 'socially cleansed' in runup to sporting events

Slum dwellers say thousands forced out of their homes to make way for building projects for tournament and 2016 Olympics



The World Cup and the Olympics are being used as a pretext for "social cleansing" as tens of thousands of Rio slum dwellers are driven out to the city periphery, favela residents say.

While millions of eyes turn to north-eastern Brazil for the World Cup draw on Friday, poor communities in Rio de Janeiro are still struggling to be heard as they fight against evictions they say are related to the city's mega sporting events.

Next year, Rio will host seven games, including the final, followed in 2016 by the Olympics. The city's mayor, Eduardo Paes, describes this as an opportunity for the city to modernise and create a legacy for future generations. But many of those on the frontline of change feel they are the victims of social cleansing.

At least 19,000 families have been moved to make way for roads, renovated stadiums, an athletes' village, an ambitious redevelopment of the port area and other projects that have been launched or accelerated to prepare the city for the world's two biggest sporting events.

"The authorities wouldn't even enter our community in the past and there was no mention of moving us, but then Brazil won the right to host the World Cup and everything changed," Maria do Socorro told a hearing in the city council building this week. Socorro's home of 40 years in the Indiana favela has been marked for demolition.

www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/05/world-cup-favelas-socially-cleansed-olympics