In August 2007, one morning, volunteers of the Rio de Paz movement (”River of Peace”) made up a cemetery of Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro’s beach. The most famous beach in the world was indeed covered with 3,000 black bin bags filled with sand to protest against violence in the State of Rio de Janeiro, as 3,000 people died there in the first half of 2007.
Antônio Carlos Costa, coordinator of Rio de Paz, explained this symbolic act by saying that “a city that is able to unite to organise the Panamerican Games (a multisports event held every four years between competitors from all countries in America – Rio organised the 2007 Games, from 13th to 29th July), which was a great event, can also unite to protect life. What we want is the Rio de sangue (”River of blood”) to become a Rio de Paz (”River of Peace”)“.
Rio is by far one of the most violent cities in the world with a rate of killing extremely high: 50 for 100,000 inhabitants. A rate far superior to the one of Brazil itself with its 23 for 100,000 inhabitants, and almost equal to the South African one which varies between 55 and 65 and would be the highest in the world (to compare, the United States rate 6.2 and the United Kingdom only 0.7!) [source: INED]. That’s the reason why when the Panamerican Games took place this year, the “Cidade maravilhosa” (”the wonderful city”) received the support of 6,000 police officers from the National Security Force, 3,000 from the federal police and 15,000 from local police. But this security reinforcement didn’t last. Once the Games were over, the police abandoned Rio to its demons.
Costa regrets that “despite the efforts from the governor (of the State) in the matter of security, the problem is chronic and lingering, and there has not been any significant change until now. This is a war we can only win with the help of the population. It is a challenge for the whole of our society.”
On the same day, Brazilian president Lula da Silva has announced that his government is to invest about 3.6 billion dollars (1.8 billion pounds) in the urbanisation and the sanitation of the favelas (slums) in the country. Brasilia, Brazil’s capital, and 12 other regions are the main targets of this measure. Lula said: “We will bring asphalt, electricity and public gardens, to relieve the millions of Brazilian who suffer”.
A fifth of the 6 million inhabitants of Rio de Janeiro live in more than 700 slums. In Sao Paulo, it’s a sixth of the 11 million inhabitants. Will that really be enough?
2 pictures:
– http://jnpaquet.files.wordpress.com/2007/08/copacabana.jpg
– http://jnpaquet.files.wordpress.com/2007/08/copacabana2.jpg
(caption: BATTLE FIELD – Rio cries for 3,000 victims of murders in 2007. Copacabana, 04.08.2007)
