Thursday, October 29, 2015

Brazil officials evict families from homes ahead of 2016 Olympic Games...

After 75 years living in the same house in a busy neighbourhood in the heart of Rio de Janeiro’s North Zone, 88-year-old Arlette Rosa José struggled to adapt to life on the distant fringes of the city.

Along with another 385 families in the area, she and her daughter were forced from their home when city hall ordered their removal to make way for a high-speed bus lane linking the international airport with Barra da Tijuca, the neighbourhood that will host most of the 2016 Olympic Games venues.

Complications over the legal status of the property mean the Josés have yet to receive any compensation. And with no money, the family has moved to an area where the rent is affordable, over 30km away from their original home.

“We have no friends here,” said Arlette’s daughter, Elizabeth. “My mother spends a lot of time just sitting on the sofa, weeping.”

According to figures from Rio de Janeiro city government, 22,059 families have been resettled since 2009, either because of their homes being labelled “at risk” or to make way for transport and other infrastructure projects related to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Full story...

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