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Slow march of progress in Brazilian favela
AFP - Wednesday, February 2
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Slow march of progress in Brazilian favela
RIO DE JANEIRO (AFP) - – Just over a year ago, Brazilian police stormed one of the shanty towns dotted around Rio, wrested control from violent drug trafficking gangs and installed peace and stability.
And residents are happy to put up with the 24-hour police presence as part of a "pacification" program, as they enjoy the resulting seeds of an economic uptick.
"Last year my business grew by 30 percent, and in the next two years I expect it to grow 50 percent more," said Jose Luiz Mineiro, 53, who owns a small store in the favela that sells soda and food.
Before, when the drug gangs ruled, "there was no respect for work," added another worker, who identified himself as Luiz. It was difficult to walk in the neighborhood "because the streets were blocked by armed men," he said.
"They repressed us, they exploited us. We had to do what they told us otherwise they closed down our stores and threatened to kill us," agreed Mineiro, adding they used to hear gunfire all the time.
Police stormed the Pavao-Pavaozinho-Cantagalo shanty town, which enjoys spectacular views of the Copacabana and Ipanema beaches, in late 2009.
And the experience in this favela, just south of Rio de Janeiro, is a lesson in how Brazilian authorities aim to bring law and order to such lawless areas.
Up a steep hill at the entrance to the favela, teenager Quezia Agins says more people are now coming to visit the small bakery run by her mother, calculating that business is up 50 percent.
"Now people are less afraid and now that it is safe to come to the bakery," she said.
Trouble with the slums and organized crime is nothing new in Rio, but there is a new sense of urgency as Brazil seeks to wield its growing clout as a global economic and political player.
The seaside city will also soon be very much in the world spotlight as it plays host to soccer matches in the 2014 World Cup and then the 2016 Olympic Games.
A third of Rio's population of six million lives in slums perched on steep hillsides. Most favelas, riddled with narrow streets, are no-go areas for the rest of the city's residents, who fear the gangs and criminals.
But in late January 2010 authorities opened a special "pacifying" police unit in the favela, equipped with 193 officers. Their presence is complemented by a government program that hires local residents.
Police do their best to make friends with the locals, making a point to kick around footballs with neighborhood kids, relax with an ice-cream or hang around chatting.
At the beginning, local residents were reluctant to embrace the police, agent Da Luz told AFP.
Now there is a bit more trust and neighborhood duty was "very calm." However "there will never be 100 percent acceptance" by the population, he said.
Life has been revolutionized for the residents, who now have land titles to the area where their homes stand and after years of just tapping into the electricity grid, have to pay for the power they use. There is even a branch of a local bank.
Jose Luiz Bezerra, who heads a Cantagalo neighborhood association, said as a result of the police presence property prices have increased. Rent and home sales have now doubled in price in one year, he said.
"Some people are coming from other places to settle here. There are even two Italians," he said.
Residents also face electricity bills, although the utility company is giving them a half-off discount and will slowly increase the rate until they are paying full price in two years.
"But now that we pay for electricity, we can also make demands. Yesterday, for example, the power was cut around 1:00 on the morning. They all came to repair the outage," said resident Ivan Cerqueira Nascimento.
The 61-year-old has been living in the favela for 40 years and owns three homes with a panoramic view of both Ipanema and the postcard-ready Morro Dois Irmaos hills.
His goal: to rent out the homes to tourists for 500 reals a night, the same price as a high-end hotel in Copacabana. His house is fully equipped with modern kitchen appliances and has a terrace overlooking the beach.
But despite the improvements, there is still much to be done.
In the lower part of the favela spacious homes are properly built with solid construction material and boost yards and garages.
Climbing upwards, the homes become smaller, the streets narrower, gutters overflow with dirty water and turkey vultures swoop down to pick through the garbage strewn in the streets.
"At home, I have running water for two days, then it's off for four weeks -- same as before the (police) arrived," said Bruno, a 30 year-old construction worker. "The police are only worried about the bandits and drugs."
Store owner Mineiro also said he has not seen any improvements in health care or education despite "the 38 percent in taxes that I pay for my business," adding that ambulances for example still dare not venture into the favela if someone needs urgent hospital treatment.
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