Have just taken @ninianna back to the airport via bus for her journey back to the UK, and travelled very close to some of the favelas that cover large parts of central Rio. These sprawling areas of basically slum residences where those under the poverty line have their homes are controlled in most cases by drug gangs, and the only rules that seem to matter are the ones set by them – law enforcers stay well clear. The film ‘City of God’ is set in one of the Rio favelas and if you haven’t seen it and are interested in this kind of thing be sure to check it out.

What I find hard is the City of Rio has done nothing to reduce the levels of abject poverty suffered by people living in these conditions. The homes in some cases have no windows or doors, and large numbers of a family live together in cramped spaces. There is obviously a strong, almost tribal, sense of community in these areas, but the conditions are not good. There are many deaths each year due to gang violence and the numbers are deaths are huge. I have heard that there are more killed in the favelas per year than there are in officially designated war zones! This is an incredible statistic to consider. So why is nothing done about this?

Most of the tourism sites in Rio are owned and run by the state, so all the income they generate is fed into the public sector. There is also a large amount of foreign investment, bringing with it significant tax income. But where is the expenditure on helping those in need in the city? I left with the feeling that the city has given up on those at the bottom of the pile. They should be doing A LOT more than they are. I heard of plans to build huge walls to keep the people of the streets away from the big Olympic and World Cup venues when these arrive in a few years time. What sort of a solution is this? A completely irresponsible one.

Another example of poor leadership, politics gone bad, a society in need and at breaking point, and no true, deep, long-lasting and sustainable solution in sight. There is a chance for someone to stand up and make a massive difference here. Break the stranglehold of the political puppets. I’m no expert on politics or the way that these things are done but I do know that in Rio it is desperately needed.

(written Tues 28 Sep 2010)