Police invasion against the drug dealers in Rocinha

I want to describe how is the situation in Rocinha after police invasion.

Let me describe situation in Rio de Janeiro first. In Brazil the homicides doubled since 1980 and looks like a constant problem in country where doesn't exist religious, ethnic and racist conflicts. Almost 50,000 people are killed in Brazil every year.

However,  the situation in Rio de Janeiro is statisticly better. According this document http://mapadaviolencia.org.br/pdf2012/mapa2012_rj.pdf the homicide crime is dropping down in last decade. In year 2000 was in state of Rio de Janeiro 51 homicides per 100,000 habitants and 56.1 in city Rio de Janeiro and its agglomeration. In year 2010 was half on both sides.

Drug dealers are responsible for most homicides. There is no dead bodies in Rio de Janeiro. Who is scared of violence are again middle and upper class. I believe, that you can be robbed in Rio, as the most people said but you can be robbed also in other bigger city.

Rio de Janeiro has approximately 700 shanty towns called favelas. Ten years ago was almost all of them occupied by one of the drug dealing gang. There are 3 biggest gangs in Rio that are occupiing favelas. Probably the biggest and oldest faction is Comando Vermelho (CV), Amigo dos Amigos (ADA) and Terceiro Comando Puro (TCP) which starts a "business" after masacre in prison Bangu where a part of CV splited and killed almost all of remaining command of CV.

Situation after 10 years was different. Politicans felt electoral power because 1/3 of habitant of city is considered to be habitant of favela. Goverment stared huge operation for throwning out dealers from favelas. In these pacified favelas are in charge police militias which are recieving money for protecting habitants against violence and drug gangs. Pacified favela is considered to be a "property" of PMRJ(Rio de Janeiro Police Department) and was distributed to high-ranking police chiefs who has profits of it.

In Rocinha was since 2004 in charge ADA but after November 2011 arrrest of Antônio Francisco Bofim Lopes also called Nem is considered to be pacified. On every corner is a police patrol with submachine guns. And indenpendent teams are patroling becos (small street).


The presence of guns is prety disturbing but you can used to it. Police is checking a lot of people and the worst situation is on night. It's not good to leave you home without identification. Sometimes I can hear gunshots but it's a far away. There is no sign of drug dealers but I can bet that some of the people that I know are.  

Baile funk - "music" of Rio de Janeiro

Last weekend I had honor to visit a local show. It's called baile funk and it's party. Its visitors are mostly poor people from slums, but there are parties for not too low classes on a borders of slums.

Baile funk is a party. There are MC's which play music simply called funk. It doesn't have anything common with funk that is known in Europe or USA. Texts content a lot of violence, social injustice and sex. It's very simple. Singers are trying (or even not trying) to rap the text.

Here is a great exaple of what girls are doing. The move is called bum bum

 On show was a lot of girls with big asses shaking all time in front of my face... I think that for person from western world is this a lot of temptation. Girls are very comunicative and provocative.

Frankly I had to leave very quckly because...

Make your opinion yourself.

My flat in Rio de Janeiro again

I forgot to post some fotos that I promissed. The flat where I'm sleeping is under rat atack right now. On terase is a lot of eletronic stuff such as trasmitors, loudspeakers, amplifiers etc. It looks like I'm living in trash.
A closer look:

The proprietor of the radio isn't a person who wants to change anything and in that case I have to convince him to do it.

Here is another picture of a street below. The fact is that I have security for free.

Nevertheless, I have to solve the rat problem because I'm really unconfortable with this. But sofar I didn't make nothing.
Any idea?

Usefull feature for solving this problem is to have a door on terrace. Let's see if it's possible.

Mothers' day in Brazil and churrasco on the roof

Yesterday was Mothers' day all around the world. But since Brazil is matriarchy it was big event. Mom here is a head of family. The cult of mother is so strong that almost every family doesn't have father. I think that it has something in common with divorces and family separation in Brazil. It looks like woman is more important here than man.

I was invited for family barbecue on favela. I have to say that I'm not so social right now, but someone said to me that is quiete impolite to refuse invitation for churrasco. So I went.

Sunday here in Rocinha was really rainy, but in my opinion was there in small house on favela a lot of people. Aproximatelly 12. Acording of other it wasn't so much. For that 12 invited persons was 30kg of all kind of meat. All was coming with wishing for mom of the family. Just like on birthday.

This event was on roof of house with a kind of roof of sails. In the middle of roof was homemade barbecue grill and 2kW big loudspeaker. I didn't hear what others were saying. Nothing usual. Brazilian are always like that. Frankly, I didn't care what they were saying. I was on my wave with laptop.

They found it outrageous too. When it's party you can't work. I have to explain what I do every day. It's quiete anoying. But funny.

When you realize that people from the poorest circles don't want to spend more time with working besides their job, it is funny, because person they considere to be rich or from rich country trying to work every minute of his life. They don't understand me why. I'm trying to explain. And I don't understand why they want to listen to me about working.

What will help is tolerance. I will tolerate their desire stay poor and maybe they will tolerate my effort not to be eaten by rats.

Brazilian national passion footbal

Brazilians loves football. I've never been in other states of Brazil but cariocas (who lives in Rio de Janeiro) look like this is only meaning of life. Football is part of their religion. Every time you meet a new person you'll be ask to answer question of what is you favorite team. You can choose between these:

• Flamengo
• Botafogo
• Fluminense
• Vasco

Those are the most famous here. You better know names of famous players. Not knowing is considered to ignorance.

It doesn't matter if the match is not important. It's always the one. People will watch it on bars, clubs and restaurants and don't want to be disturbed. They want to see the game. 

Flat in favela Rocinha Rio de Janeiro

I was able to start cleaning my new "flat". This is how it looked before. Especialy the terrasa.

When I'll finish the cleaning, I'll give a complete look.

How to get visa in Brazil

If you pretend to stay in Brazil you have 5 options how to obtain visa. I will describe it with all necesarities.

1. Investment visa - if you got equivalent to 150.000 BRL (approximately 78.000 USD) you can open thru your procurador (person, usually lawyer, that have a power of attorney) open new company and send this money for bank account of your new company. I'll recommend you to hire company that is specialized for visa business, you can avoid all future problems. 
2. Working visa - usually happens when you are interesting of job in Brazil for bigger company. Your new employer will make all necesary steps for obtaining visas.
3. Marriage with brazilian - it looks like the easiest way for getting visa, but trust me, brazilian woman are complicated
4. Childbirt - there is nothing to say it's obvious, if your child will be born in Brazil, you got automaticaly brazilian visa
5. Visa amnesty - every 10 years the brazilian govermant will give amnesty.  From the date of approval, illegal foreigners who entered prior to February have 180 days to make themselves known to the Federal Police and register their position. They will need to present proof of their date of entry, a clear criminal record both within and outside of Brazil, and pay an as-yet unconfirmed sum for the Carteira de Identidade de Estrangeiro (CEI).  

After 5 years of remaining visa you have the right to apply for naturalization which means brazilian passport.

Job in Rio de Janeiro

I'll describe how to search for job, when you're in Rio de Janeiro irregular(without resident or working visa). Frankly, it's quite dificult. In a small cities it should be easier but in Rio de Janeiro all companies want to hire you on contract. It's called carteira assinada. But if you don't have appropriate type of visa, noone is going to employ you.
I was able to, thru my connections here, get a job as self-employee. That means I'll be paid for work that will be done. I don't want to say here that it's impossible get a job here as employee but due to regulation for asking and obtaining visa is quite dificult.
Beside the job for radio, I got job for one company that's responsible for the development of tourism in Rocinha. In this project will be included medial propagation of brand. I want to say that is dificult some brazilian how does internet work but looks like they fully suport my steps and decisions and that is on one side good for me because I don't need to use my argumentation skill but on the other side they will certainly blame me if we didn't succeed in my sector of work.
But let's say that is good start in Rocinha. I will keep you updated.

Favela da Rocinha - is it for gringos?

Brazilians have terrible fear of favelas. I mean brazilian from middle class. When I told them that I will move to favela It was a lot of explaining why.
Why white men want to live in the worst place in Rio de Janeiro in first place? Well, when is your situation in Brazil worsening, you have to stop bleeding. I mean stop spending money when you are not earning money. Is it obvious?
I spread the word and I got home... One guy in local radio want me to improve website of his radio because he is spending too much money for paying one guy from Minas Gerais (other state in Brazil). This guy is without the shame ask for unacceptable money. After stating that noone will pay more money, he's beginning threatening. He doesn't want to provide information for webhosting and even doesn't want to change administration profile in domain registering page.

One advice - be aware of brazilien piranhas not favelas.

Long story short - radio man offered me if I want to stay in second floor of his radio. And I didn't hasitate any minute and accepted imediately.
Let me describe it. It's cobertura in Rocinha. Cobertura means this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penthouse_apartment but it is all in Rocinha style and all is for FREE.

I have to do a lot of cleaning in my new apartment because noone lived there for long time but I'm happy that I have place to stay.

Weather in Rio de Janeiro in May

It's strange I'm from middle Europe and i feel cold in tropical clima. Last few days was quiete rainy and as you've noticed it was really cold. There's several reasons why:
- houses are opened
- usualy I don't wear jacket here
- when it's raining and I don't have umbrella I get wet.

Temperature is 20 but because of all this humidity looks like 15 or less.