The post below is my coverage of the opening of a Brazilian Soccer School in Ealing. I did the interview myself (go me!).
Are Brazil's shanty towns sabotaging it's rise to dominance?
His argument was that Brazil, as the largest country in South America with one of the world’s most rapidly developing economies, deserved to be sitting proudly amongst more developed nations and have a greater stake in the process of finding a solution to the global economic crisis.
It is difficult to disagree with Lula, as Brazil’s growth suggests that it is indeed on its way to becoming a economic powerhouse and therefore a key player on the world stage. Its economy grew by 5.1% during the whole of 2008 and it is expected to be one of the few countries to come out of the recent financial downturn relatively unscathed.
But even though Brazil continues to grow richer, there is still a rather substantial problem standing in the way of their rise to power, one that undermines the many financial gains of recent years and must be resolved if the country is ever going to make itself heard.
The problem is poverty and almost a quarter of the entire Brazilian population suffer from it, even as the economy grows. The issue is clearly marked across the country for all to see in the form of crime ridden shanty towns known as favelas, home to millions of Brazilians.
Often crammed onto steep hillsides on the outskirts of sprawling cities, these slums are self erected and illegally occupied by the impoverished. Their constant and unavoidable presence in otherwise booming areas continue to seriously mar Brazil’s reputation.
Most of the modern day favelas dotted around the country were originally built during the 1970s, when a rural exodus saw many travel to urban areas in search of a better life, but ultimately end up in a favela.
The fact that these structures are still standing and continue to be the only option for so many unfortunate Brazilians thirty years later is a major hindrance for a country claiming to have changed so much.
The favelas also serve as a reminder of Brazil’s long standing and well documented problem with violence and crime. There are 25 murders per 1000 people and this is even more common in the cities with the most favelas, such as Rio, where 4000 are killed annually, and Sao Paulo, which less than three years ago saw the worst outbreak of violence in Brazilian history that left 141 people dead within three days.
As well as tarnishing the image of Brazil, the favelas also showcase the economic inequality amongst the population. Urban overcrowding means that the favelas usually stand side by side with mansions and skyscrapers, a literal demonstration of the rich/poor divide that plagues the country.
Nowhere in Brazil is this more noticeable than in Rio de Janeiro, where most of the 750 plus favelas around the city offer panoramic views of the prosperous and tourist ridden downtown area. Indeed the largest favela in Rio, Rocinha, is situated on a hill only a mile away from the legendary Copacabana beach. Glamour, wealth and beautiful people are dangled literally outside the window.
In Brazil the economic inequality, the difference in income between the rich and the poor, is vast. The richest 10% of the population earn 50% of the country’s income, while the poorest 10% get less than 1%. This division has led to doubt over whether Brazil’s troubled economy really does have the ability to develop to superpower level.
So what is being done about the favelas, and how will this affect Brazil’s image? President da Silva, or Lula as he is more popularly known, promised on the campaign trail to help poverty stricken Brazilians and provide a better quality of life for those in the favelas. His pledge struck a chord with the poor, as previous governments had turned a blind eye to their situation, and in 2003 Lula was elected by a landslide.
He increased the minimum wage and pushed through long term welfare programmes that provided financial aid to the poor. Following the success of these in reducing the rate of poverty, he was re-elected in 2006 and chose to focus on the quality of life in the favelas.
In 2007 he pledged $1.7 billion to improve conditions in the favelas around Rio de Janeiro, while increased funding for other favelas around Brazil has brought about greater sanitation systems, safe water supplies and electricity.
But although Lula has worked hard to increase the quality of life in Brazil, the favelas continue to stand strong on the outskirts of the cities and in the minds of others.
There doesn’t seem to be any indication that this will change either, with Lula choosing to concentrate on the people and the issues inside of the favela, rather than on the settlements themselves.
But it’s worth remembering that Brazil has continued to gather strength despite the continued presence of the favelas over the years. They stood on the hillsides as the country excelled and grew from the brink of financial ruin to having one of the fastest growing and most important economies in the world.
Perhaps Lula has the right idea and what Brazil needs in order to be respected is not a removal of the favelas but an improvement on the issues of crime, violence, poverty and inequality that continue to hold the country back. Only when Brazil proves to be as successful at eradicating these problems as it has been in making substantial economic gains will it be treated by the world as the superpower it aspires to be.
Photos Courtesy of safetravel.govt.nz, peixelaranja.wordpress.com, en.wikipedia.org and news.bbc.co.uk
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