“Mega-Sports Events, Gentrification and Social Mobilization in Rio de Janeiro” - Experiences from Metrô Mangueira

Abstract

In order to promote gentrification of the city of Rio de Janeiro, the Brazilian government and the municipality of Rio de Janeiro have actively used Mega-Sports Events (MSE) in urban planning. Examples are tax cuts and the legalization of various measures for large-scale urban programs, to prepare the city for hosting these prestigious events. Whilst trying to fulfil the obligations from MSEs, the host city denies its citizens access to democratic participation and thereby their right to the city. The promises made to the international sportive federations regarding upgraded infrastructure, sportive arenas, media coverage and security have created enormous pressure on the city’s politicians. Thousands of families have been evicted from their homes to create space for urban projects. Many of these have been offered housing by ‘Minha Casa Minha Vida’ on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro, far away from work and education opportunities. In response to the forced evictions, the urban poor have resisted and several mobilizations and protests have occurred in Rio de Janeiro since 2009. Favela dwellers from Metrô Mangueira were first threatened by forced evictions in 2010 due to the upgrading of Maracanã and around for the World Cup in 2014. The authorities offered the residents housing through ‘Minha Casa Minha Vida’ in Cosmos, approximately 70 km away. The residents refused and created a community committee to lead the mobilization. The Committee of Metrô Mangueira created vertical and horizontal linkages with public defenders, the State University of Rio de Janeiro, international media and other favelas in similar situations. Several times during the resistance activities at Metrô Mangueira, there were brutal encounters between the residents and the military police, and the international media focused attention on the unfair treatment the residents of Metrô Mangueira had to suffer as a result of the World Cup preparations. Despite being denied participation in the planning process by means of active citizenship and the use of invented spaces for participation, the residents of Metro Mangueira succeeded in attracting the authorities’ attention towards their claims. After two years of struggles, the residents of Metrô Mangueira got housing in Mangueira. The social mobilization at Metrô Mangueira created an insurgent citizenship that fight for a right to the city. The success of this social mobilization has been of great importance even after the fading of the mobilization itself, with other collective actions building on this and other similar precedents. Key words: Mega-sports events. World Cup. Olympics. Urban Planning. Gentrification. Social Mobilization. Citizenship. Insurgent citizenship. Invented Spaces. The right to the city. Minha Casa Minha Vida. Favela