Brazil: What It’s Like to Walk Through Rio’s Most Feared Favelas | Danger, Tourism, Local Culture
It's 5 a.m., and we’ve just touched down in Rio de Janeiro, but you can’t see a thing. It’s pitch-dark, with heavy clouds overhead— the weather’s not looking great so far. But as you know, a little bad weather won’t slow me down. Especially not in Brazil. The favelas are notoriously dangerous, and you can’t just wander in.
- The police keep people out, largely due to government policies. The government signs some papers, and then the police start killing residents. It’s lawless here, chaos reigns, and every day it only gets worse, impacting people’s daily lives. - One guy I saw even had an ankle monitor on. Yeah, he’s under home arrest.
- They’re convinced that if they leave the protection of the local gangs, the police will shoot them. - One of the first things I noticed here was the local librarian had a beer in hand. And plenty of it.
So now, the library is where people come to cool off. The police come in there too, and sometimes they open fire. That’s why fences around here are riddled with bullet holes. Today, I’m going to take you through some of the most dangerous Brazilian favelas, the ones everyone says to avoid.
But first, we have to get from the airport to the hotel. The moment you land, they let you know how long it’ll take to get into the city. You’ve got options: the PRT, which is the rapid bus or metro, will take about 70-80 minutes and is pretty affordable.
A regular bus will get you there in 45-60 minutes. And if you’re in a rush, a cab can get you there in 30-45 minutes. There are different types of taxis, and signs explain how you can pay— either by the meter or at the counter. You can also call a ride through an app and pay by cash or card. Oh, and by the way, our luggage has arrived! Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world, seventh in population, and has the eleventh-largest economy. It’s famous for its coffee, crime, and, of course, its beaches.
If you’ve ever been curious about Brazil, you’ve definitely heard the name Copacabana. It’s one of the world’s most famous beaches, although no one is quite sure what its name means. It originally comes from the town of Copacabana in Bolivia, and the name could mean a bright spot, a blue beach, or perhaps a view of a lake. My hotel view, however, was definitely not of a lake. But most importantly, I’ve got this stunning ocean view! Just look at it—what a beauty. It’s incredible.
The sun’s already coming out, despite the warnings of bad weather and overcast skies. You can see the golden sunlight beginning to paint the hills. Shall we hit the beach? - This lovely weather will last until about 6 p.m. And, by the way, this is something Google doesn’t usually tell you about. - So… yeah, people are out and about, jogging.
It’s just amazing. - And not just this street part of Avenida Atlântica is blocked off. We’re actually about to go against traffic. The next street is Antero, also blocked off. You’ll see it runs along Flamengo Beach.
Copacabana itself is only 4 kilometers long, but it’s part of a 7,000-kilometer stretch of Brazilian coastline. The beach got a bit of a makeover during the pandemic. The sand is fine and white now. Tomorrow or the day after, the weather should be sunny, and the sand will squeak under your feet, just like in Barcelona.
- Can you just walk out and have a drink here? - You can. You can stroll out in your swim trunks, flip-flops, no problem. Some locals and even tourists do the same without a second thought.
Just make sure to take off any gold chains— this area can be a bit sketchy. - I can see someone sitting in the rocks near the shore, looking kind of suspicious. - But no, it’s not a professional criminal, just homeless people. - Oh, they live here? Are they dangerous? - Maybe, but who really knows.
Anyway, we’ll have time for a dip in the Atlantic later. For now, let’s dive into the real heart of Brazil—the favelas. I know that’s what you’ve been waiting for. But first, we need to go over some local rules. For example, there’s a system of communication—firecrackers.
The sound signals something— either a new delivery of goods or a warning that someone’s approaching. Also, kites can be used to send signals. For example, red kites flying over the favela mean danger, yellow ones signal caution, and green kites mean everything’s fine, all clear. When you enter a favela, at first glance, it might feel like you’ve stepped into a sleepy neighborhood or village.
There are roosters, birds, no one seems in a rush. But in reality, it’s a world of constant activity. Often illegal activity, especially where dr*g trafficking is involved.
Dr*g trafficking is pretty much everywhere. It sets the rules of behavior— for both the gangs and the residents. Oddly enough, there’s a certain harmony here. People don’t really suffer from theft, at least. But they do suffer from sudden shootouts, gunfights, stray bullets. It’s a big problem.
- So, what do you think of these “rules”? In general, you should only visit favelas if you’re well-prepared. Sure, there are tourist-friendly spots like the Rocinha favela, where they’ve even opened hostels. But the true favelas of Rio are still very dangerous. According to the website Numbeo, Rio ranks in the top five most dangerous cities in the world. In 2023, the calmest month here was August.
There were “only” 155 shootings in 31 days. For Rio, that’s nothing. Back in March 2021, there were 606 shootouts. Now, I think you understand my nerves.
And on top of that, the locals added to my fears. Here’s what’s going on. I’m planning to visit some slums tomorrow to film what real favelas look like.
One of my subscribers, a Russian who lives nearby, reached out to me. He wants to talk me out of it. He said it’s incredibly dangerous, that it’s absolutely not safe to go. I’m about to meet him to hear more.
- It’s true, tourist visits to favelas have become somewhat of a trend. A lot of visitors to Rio de Janeiro are curious to see these local “attractions.” But when I found out the name of this particular favela, I felt it was my duty to take this more seriously. This is not the kind of favela you’ve seen in travel TV shows. It’s a very serious place. Let’s put it this way— he’s planning to visit one of the most dangerous favelas you can find in Rio de Janeiro.
If you’re looking for trouble, to find the hardest, most intense place, not just in Rio but in all of Brazil, then yeah, you picked the right spot. - Okay, so what’s the worst that could happen? As one of my friends said— this isn’t just my opinion, I’m just passing on what I’ve heard from people who grew up here and know a lot more than I do— - If you don’t listen, you’ll see how hot Rio can get. It’s like a microwave. Drop this idea, man. Don’t do this crap. - Forget it, don’t even think about it, or you’ll get to know what we call Rio’s "microwave."
It’s the traditional execution method used by Brazilian dr*g traffickers, where they stuff someone into tires and set them on fire. That’s the "Rio de Janeiro microwave." And I’m not trying to scare you— this isn’t some personal opinion. This is what really happens here. You have to understand, even though you’re in Brazil, when you step into certain favelas, it’s like entering another country.
Think of Italy and the Vatican— it’s got its own laws, its own rules. That’s how it is with the favelas in Rio de Janeiro. They operate like their own state, with their own laws, and they don’t answer to the president, the police, or the governor of Rio de Janeiro. - Does that give you chills? It definitely gave me some. But there is a way out.
You need to get permission from the favela bosses. More precisely, your guide needs to obtain it. - All the people I spoke to about this situation said the same thing: the main thing is to get permission from the head of the favela. This isn’t necessarily a document, but it’s crucial to have approval from the person who controls everything there.
If he gives the go-ahead and says, "Okay, we’ve agreed, this person can film, no need to bother them," then there will be no issues. This is absolutely certain. It's almost like having a permit from the president.
With that permission, you can relax because you’ll be protected. Petty criminals, thieves, etc., won’t touch you because they fear the people running the show there. So, if you have that permission, or if the person taking you there has it, then, in principle, everything should go smoothly. - I have a few contacts, but the driver I hired to take me there, as well as others, all refused when they found out where I was going. They said, "No way, we’re not going there."
You could call Uber, but Uber drivers will likely refuse to go there as well since they don't drive to such neighborhoods. So, I’m taking the subway. Crazy, right? They say that’s a bad idea too. On that optimistic note, we're moving out. - We’re heading to the northern part of Rio de Janeiro, which is known to be a bit dangerous, right? We're going to the Complexo do Chapadão favela.
Basically, well, it's a favela full of junkies, that's one way to put it, right? - Basically, it’s a complex made up of 13 separate communities. It’s home to around 25,000 people. And this favela hasn’t been "pacified" yet. That means the elite Brazilian police squads, which enter favelas to restore order with firearms, haven’t gotten here yet. - Let’s keep our fingers crossed that everything goes well.
Now, let’s head to the subway. The subway is the most convenient way to get around here. - Alex said we should put away all our cameras, as we might not even make it to the favela – they could take the cameras before we get there. - We just stand out too much – blond hair, blue eyes. In other words, we are clearly not locals. Blending in is not an option, especially with all the equipment we’re carrying.
- So even in Rio, the Complexo do Chapadão stands out as especially dangerous. They won’t just take our cameras; we won’t even know what a "Brazilian grill" is. So, we hide the cameras and hop on the subway. - Visiting this area isn’t inherently dangerous.
As long as you follow certain rules, right? And our guide knows the rules since he’s a local. He sees that we’re just clueless tourists, right? It’s basically a death wish. -Everything feels very strange and unpredictable. We’re budgeting about 330 for "gifts", as they say, right? - 330 for gifts? Let’s see what kind of "gifts" we can buy.
Those cameras will probably get noticed right away, yes? - Yeah, they have people keeping watch constantly. Their job is to protect their business, with eyes everywhere, and snitch on anyone suspicious. Because, of course, the cops are cunning too, always trying to take pictures or capture footage.
We’re headed to the far north, where the most dangerous favelas are. We’ve arrived. The first part of the trip was successful – we didn’t get robbed on the subway. It’s kind of funny because the subway runs directly through the favelas. The train is surrounded by endless rows of brick houses, and you can see smoke from something cooking behind fences. It’s quite beautiful, isn’t it? I’d love to see it from above.
Anyway, we’ve reached the final station, and our guide should be meeting us here. - Let’s start from the entrance to Chapadão, this neighborhood. We’re going to observe everyday life here. This is Pavuna, the last neighborhood in the north, and it’s the most dangerous one.
- Is it dangerous for foreign tourists? It’s dangerous for everyone. Over there is Fluminense, which belongs to Rio's municipality. There’s a river separating it. - We were planning to take a motorcycle taxi into the favela, but our guide suggested the bus.
- He mentioned that just a week ago, the police came through and stirred things up. That’s something to keep in mind. - He also said the bus shakes a lot on these roads. In Russia, when people feel uncomfortable, they say "we’re not firewood." - Now we’re in the heart of Chapadão. The population density is much higher here.
- I see some tires. They told me that if you see tires, you should run. - There are flowers. We’re not on planet Alpha here. Yeah, bad people here don’t turn into flowers. - Better keep the camera hidden, or you might get kicked out.
Since this is the main street, the mugging situation is different. - And here it is, the most dangerous favela in Rio. But look, some of these houses are pretty wealthy. - It all depends on the place. Usually, you know, the higher up the mountain, the poorer it gets.
- Yeah. - You go up, and there are these shacks, people sleeping right on the ground. It’s richer at the bottom, of course.
Same trouble as in Brazil. He says, 'I made arrangements with a lot of people, even friends.' At first, they're like, ‘Yeah, we’ll do it, no problem.’ And then, oops, last minute, they back out. I told him, ‘Man, we’ll just wing it. So what? It’s always like this, right? No one’s waiting for us here.
- It’s not too scary yet, right? But hey, I found a guy with the same hairstyle here. - Is this your friend’s place? - Yeah. Tata? He’s the photographer. - Dude’s hair is awesome. - Make yourself at home - The place is really bright, I like it.
There are even some plants. I’m into that. - The danger of the favela is obvious from the look of the local store.
- ‘Good morning, do you have any beer? - Three Brahmas, please.’ - A friend talked to the manager-owner, and they’re sending three motorcycles for us. It’ll cost about 30–40 reals. Deal. - We stocked up on local beer, hopped on the bikes, and headed to the top of the favela.
Remember, in favelas, the higher you go, the poorer and more dangerous it gets. Though at first, I was dropped off at a playground. We’re on moto-taxis. We arrive at the top of these favelas. And here, for about 20 minutes, we negotiate with the local young gangsters who run this area. They talked for a long time and eventually said, ‘Okay, you can film, but don’t film us.’
So we start shooting, showing you how life in the favela works. Maybe later they’ll open up, trust me more, and we can get more footage. Here’s what the top of the favela looks like. Look, this is the highest hill.
From here, you get views in every direction. And over there, that’s the northern outskirts of Rio. All the way to the horizon, you can see these poor brick houses.
It’s all favelas. - They hung up a teddy. - Hung up a teddy bear. Hopefully, they won't hang us. But look at these beautiful views. There’s an observation deck— you could probably sell some souvenirs here.
What do those writings on the walls mean? - The local criminal gang is asking residents not to throw out trash. ‘Don’t litter, because we live here.’ But you realize there’s no basic sanitation down here. There’s gunfire down below. - Even the gangsters know not to throw garbage on the street.
It's beautiful. - They say the sunset here is unbelievable. - They should build a hotel or something.
- They want to build a racetrack over there and cut down the forest. Have you seen the project? A lot of businessmen are interested, but the government won’t give them the money. They’re saying a racetrack will bring jobs for people here in the favela. - I managed to gain the guys' trust. One of them agreed to talk to me on camera.
- You can't film his tattoos... That’d give him away. And not his face, either. - It’s tough here, man. There’s a crackdown going on. The police are still stalking residents’ Instagrams.
They already arrested one guy because he was a street vendor. They ask, ‘Was that a gun in the photo?’ ‘No, I was just filming a music video with some friends.’ It’s really hard for us here. They don’t have a creative license.
Yeah, inside the favela, it’s impossible. - Ask how they control everything. What kind of relationship do they have with the authorities? How often do the police come? - It’s constant fighting.
It’s a massacre, you know? The police won’t let people live in the favelas. And it’s all because of the government. The government signs some papers, and the police just come in and kill people, you know? Awful things happen here in the favela.
But we don’t care about them. That’s the point, you see? Things are going to stay the same. It’ll stay like this until something changes, you know? Nothing’s going to change. Their law is different for us because we’re on the periphery, you know? - A lot of people die in shootouts with the police here in Rio. Last year, there were 871 victims, and in 2019, 1,814 people were killed by the police. - If he calls the cops... well, he won’t...
Can the police enter the favela? - No, they can’t. And as you can see, there are barricades everywhere. - Does it help to control the crime? - The police don’t come in unless there’s an operation or a shootout. And, yeah, shootouts happen here. Sometimes gangs fight each other, and it's easy to get hit in the crossfire. Crime rules here, chaos reigns, and it’s only getting worse, affecting the way people live.
They buy gas, they help with food baskets. Because of all this, there are massive problems. It’s just everyday life in the favela now, and the police is useless. They don’t help, they just kill. They have no intelligence; there’s not a single smart guy among them. The state claims they are smart, but it’s not true.
They just want to steal and do bad stuff, man. You know, everyone condemns people from the favelas, calling them criminals. But THEY are the main criminals and scumbags. - A husband beats his wife, a friend beats another, someone steals from someone else— who solves the problem? Where do people call, where do they complain if a conflict arises? Who handles these issues within the community? - Here, in the favela, no one can hit or beat a woman. You can't hit a woman. Absolutely not.
Hitting a woman is a serious offense. So these guys also run the crime here. And they're the ones who maintain order. We believe that’s fair.
- I don’t know about this favela, but throughout Rio in 2023, there were over 45,000 crimes against women. Nearly 14,000 of those were physical violence, and more than 2,500 were sexual. If they’re so fair, what happens to drivers who come here? Why are they robbed if these people are so fair and good? Why are the cab drivers scared to come here? - I think it’s more because of the image portrayed on TV. They show favelas on TV, right? They show what will grab the public’s attention. Death when a cop kills a dr*g dealer.
They show when a child is killed. But they don’t talk about the people doing incredible work inside the favelas, saving lives. They don’t show that it doesn’t attract an audience. I think they do it on purpose.
Now, people want to come here, but they don’t because of all this information that's been implanted in them. You understand? They want to see if it’s really happening, if there’s crime. And all of Rio de Janeiro is a city of sin.
If you’re afraid that no matter where you go, you’ll have a bad experience like we do, mostly in the favela, that’s what happens to those living in Rio. People come here just for the favela. Regardless of the favela or the gangs, you have to know how to get around. I drove into the favela, headlights off, emergency lights off too.
Music wasn’t loud. If you’re going somewhere, I just calmly pass by. Bro, this place has its rules.
People come here to relax and feel at ease. I could be like you, with the camera on. By the way, can I ask you to crop me later? Later, if you can. Here and here. It’s just that they might recognize me. Can I take my vest off? Otherwise, there might be bad consequences.
- You think there’s going to be trouble because of the vest? - Yeah, I could get arrested. - What if we cover your face? - I think they might still recognize me. They could show up here. It’s better without that thing.
We’ll need to cut everything. It’s better without that thing, right? It’s so dark here, it’s better this way. Well, greetings to the Brazilian police, who are watching my videos to identify favela thugs. And now, we’re going for a walk. Oh, someone’s pumping. Sports field.
He’s got an ankle bracelet. Dude’s under home arrest. By the way, even here, there’s a place for urban development. These cute benches, for example.
While there are constant restrictions on filming here, mainly they ask you not to record anything that could identify body parts with tattoos. And, of course, it’s stunningly beautiful. From these hills, look at the views.
The other hills are covered with these little houses. - It’s basically a bedroom community, right? - Are people in the city working right now? - Yes, mostly in downtown Rio de Janeiro. Ordinary laborers, yes.
And the average salary is about 2,000 reals. For example, a bus driver makes 1,000 reals. - 1,000 reais is about 200 dollars. Since January 2024, the minimum wage in Brazil is 1,412 reals, which is about 276 dollars. - There are many people from these societies who never leave here at all.
They live their whole lives and never leave. It’s like the middle class from the south of Rio de Janeiro— they’re afraid to go to the north. And the locals feel the same way. - They’re afraid to leave here? Yes, because they believe that if they leave, outside the protection of the boys who guard this place, they’ll be shot by the police out there. Someone offers a smoke, but no thanks. - They don’t get caught here at all— this is their territory.
- Listen, to get an idea, is this somewhat legal here? - Yeah, but there are still places where the police can give you trouble. - But as I understand w*ed isn't their biggest problem. - No, as I've been told before, with one cigarette you won’t have major problems. - Really empty streets, no one’s around. And if something happens here, of course, no one will come— no police will show up here.
So, right now, we’re completely at the mercy of these guys. How much does it cost here? Ask them how much one j*nt costs? - It’s sold everywhere. It’s about two dollars. - That’s for a bag? - Three or four j*ints. If you linger a bit on the beach, like at Copacabana, for example, there are a lot of people selling all kinds of cigarettes— they’ll definitely offer you something.
- In the favela, you can find other substances too. But I warn you, don’t do dr*gs. So, right here is a street stall where they’re selling ***. This small dose costs 10 reals, right? This larger one is of a different quality, right, for 25? Yes, 25. What’s this? - It’s the same thing, only... - Oh, that’s three. - Ah, that’s a very small dose, just 3 reals.
- And what’s this? - Oh, that’s we*d. - Thought so - So, for 25 reals, you get this much. - Buy it as a souvenir - What I'm gonna do with it? And there’s a stall like this right on the street. Along this street are stalls where dr*gs are openly sold.
They’re also selling some co*aine and we*d. Here, they’re very concerned about keeping it off camera. They allowed us to film these bags and all, but later, one of them reviewed the footage and thought his face might have been caught in the shot, so he watched it again to make sure no one was shown. They’re very worried about their safety.
As I said, the favela itself— the Complexo do Chapadão— is divided into different parts. One of them unexpectedly has an Israeli flag. Here begins a new favela, founded by a Jew. That’s why there’s an Israeli flag here.
It’s a beautiful entrance to another favela. This is where the border is, a kind of checkpoint. Filming beyond this point is not allowed. At the entrance to one of the favelas, there’s an inscription, a message to the police and enemies: "Come in easily, but you won’t get out."
Tera de Israel. So, some Jewish guy founded the favela. - A man named David, though he doesn’t necessarily have to be Jewish, right? - Well, with the Israeli flag everywhere, - He probably considers himself Jewish.
That could be true. I asked when there’s more activity here. Of course, it’s on Fridays, Saturdays. Or in the evenings, when people are coming back from work. Down there again, no filming— they’re selling things down there.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t film anything down there, but there was an incredibly beautiful dr*g selling spot, with the prices for all the stuff painted right on the wall. But we made it to the library. And the first thing I saw was that the librarian has beer. A lot of beer, so now you can quench your thirst at the library. That’s what the library in the favelas looks like.
Look at this—on one hand, guys are selling dr*gs, with a huge dr*g selling point just around the corner, and on the other hand, they’re trying to fulfill some social responsibilities by setting up a children’s library right in the favela. That’s the contrast of life here. There are parrots over here, books over there, and this cozy little courtyard we’ve come to. Meanwhile, the guys who are with us are having another discussion about something. In general, the atmosphere here is tense. People are always watching the cameras, and there’s always some kind of drama.
“Did you film that? Show it, you need to delete it,” they keep saying. People are really afraid of being caught on camera, of being identified. They fear it’ll get them in trouble with the police. Why is that? Because when footage from these areas shows something illegal, like guns, for instance, the people here— who have weapons— won’t let you film them for obvious reasons.
If you record someone or capture something forbidden, it can end up on social media, leading to public outcry: “Why are the police allowing this?” That forces the police to respond. And people here are justifiably scared that any display of illegal activity will trigger a police raid. These raids tend to end badly for locals, with arrests or even shootouts.
Understandably, nothing good ever comes from a police raid, so they’re very protective of their privacy. Still, I’m trying to show you as much as I can about how life in the Brazilian favelas is organized. Oh, and over here we have a librarian who’s not just quenching thirst for knowledge! That’s pretty cool. I imagine libraries that serve beer would be popular in some other cities too. And now we’re continuing our walk.
Here’s a fruit shop— quite unexpectedly! It actually looks quite decent. We keep wandering, not really sure where we’re heading. By the way, we’ve already been kindly invited to stay until the evening.
Apparently, it’s more lively and fun then. Yeah, and because of restrictions on filming, you can’t capture the most interesting parts. Recently, for instance, there have been several times when filming was forbidden. You can’t shoot at the intersection anymore.
There’s a local roadblock there, and no filming is allowed. I’ll have to describe it in words, calling upon all the richness of my vocabulary to capture what we’ve seen. On the way to the bandit checkpoint, we came across a separate waste collection point.
Progress, it seems, hasn’t passed the favelas by. This is where people drop off scrap paper and metal. They separate their trash here, and there’s a price list. For instance, copper is listed as “Cobre”— it’s priced by the kilo. Metal is 16, copper is 26. Beer cans go for 4.20 per kilogram.
Oh, this one’s part of an iron— all that kind of stuff. And so, everyone here brings in scrap. It’s probably aluminum, I guess. Old parts from appliances or whatever. This is how the payments work, and people bring in bags of stuff to make some extra money. I thought they were big on eco-consciousness, but it turns out they're just profiting off recycling scrap metal.
Well, at least it’s better than dealing in something illegal. Now, we’re walking down these narrow alleys. Again, just behind me were some really friendly young men who immediately offered us a cigarette. Because there are some very kind people in the favelas— they’re always quick to offer you w*ed.
Of course, we declined, because we’re firmly against that kind of stuff. Unfortunately, not everything here can be filmed. There are little shops, old arcade games. We passed a couple of times a guy on an incredible motorcycle. He had this massive gun, was wearing a bulletproof vest, and was holding the weapon like a spear for some reason.
I’m not sure what the point of that was. Maybe he was patrolling the area or doing something else, but unfortunately, you can’t film them either. We’re not entirely sure where we’re going. The road keeps getting narrower. There are more cats, and more tyres.
Do you remember the thing about tyres? Tyres are a sign that violence might be ahead, especially for outsiders. It might be the last thing we “cut” through in this life— manicure, pedicure. Beauty parlors dot the area. That’s what these houses look like. The path gets narrower and narrower.
Eventually, it turns into a trail. From here, you can see all the hills dotted with these little houses. And here’s a nice piece of land for sale.
But no one wants to live here, because the police enter from this area. You can’t film here. And see these holes? They’re from bullets. Yeah, all of them. You can’t film from here.
That’s where the shots come from. Yep, that’s all from gunfire. This is where the police enter. They come in shooting. So if you live here, your fence is constantly full of bullet holes. And to avoid having to fix your fence constantly or risk getting hit by a stray bullet, no one buys this land.
Which is a shame, because it’s actually a great plot of land. If anyone's interested, friends, here’s a listing— you could build yourself a nice vacation home. Right behind me is where we just were. There's a small roadblock, exactly where the police enter these favelas. And there are some very young kids sitting there. In fact, there's a guy sitting in a chair, holding a gun.
He says he’s 18, but I think he’s more like 16. They're just sitting there, and he's guarding the entrance. With a gun. We’re tuning out for now. So, we've exited the favela. This is the main street.
At the entrance, there’s a barricade made of tyres. You can tell they've been set on fire. Cars can get through, but only small ones.
You have to slow down. And right behind these tire barricades are dr*g stalls. At every entrance to these favelas, there are stalls selling dr*gs in small bags. The people selling them? They’re the guards of the favelas.
These young guys with guns— they clearly look bored just standing around guarding, so they make extra money selling dr*gs. Of course, not all favela residents make a living off illegal substances. In Rio alone, 1.5 million people live in favelas. Across Brazil, it's up to 16 million people— about one in every 13 citizens. It’s hard to imagine that many dr*g dealers. And in fact, not all favela residents are poor.
For example, in 2013, researchers categorized two-thirds of favela residents as part of the middle class. The total economy of the favelas was valued at nearly R$40 billion. At today’s exchange rates, that’s about 7.5 billion dollars a year— more than the GDP of the Maldives. So, the people living in the favelas are diverse. Not everyone is out on the streets selling dr*gs that ruin people’s health.
Some are organizing children's parties and making music, like my guide. And with this wonderful music, I’m off to explore more of Rio. I’ll show you that in the next video.
But for now, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and leave a comment. And make sure to share this video on Reddit and send the link to your friends on WhatsApp!
2024-11-04 21:03
