Rocinha is the largest favela in Brazil, located in Rio de Janeiro. It is built on a steep hillside overlooking Rio. Originally a fishing village, Rocinha grew rapidly in the 1960s-1980s and became infamous for high levels of crime, violence, and control by drug gangs until a pacification process in 2011. Living in Rocinha presented both opportunities and challenges related to crime and corruption.

1. Rocinha
Rocinha is a Favela, the largest in
Brazil. It is located in Rio de Janeiro’s
south zone. The Favela is built on a
steep hillside overlooking Rio.
Liam

2. Location, zooming in
Rio de
Janeiro

3. Rocinha history
• In the 1800s, the majority of slaves worked in sugar cane
fields and coffee plantations in the areas where Rocinha is
located today
• Rocinha was once a fishing village, as it is located around a
kilometre away from a nearby beach
• In 1916 construction of the Avenida Niemeyer was completed
and the road reached what is now the neighbourhood of São
Conrado.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/
dc/Engarrafamento_na_Avenida_Niemeyer_%28Rio_
de_Janeiro%29.jpg?uselang=en-gb
Avenida
Niemeyer

4. Rocinha history+
• During the 1960s and 1970s there were efforts to remove several sections
of Rocinha and relocate residents to distant neighborhoods, such as
Paciência, roughly 45 kilometers west of Rocinha
• The 1980s were pivotal for Rocinha and for Rio de Janeiro in general. It
was during the early 1980s that organized crime began its iron grip on
most of Rio’s favela communities, including Rocinha
• Drugs, crime and violence had an iron grip on the favela’s way of life.

5. The opportunities/challenges of living
in Rocinha
• Rocinha was once infamous for being controlled by violent
drug gangs who brandished assault riffles openly on street
corners, before then you could have been a part of a gang so
that you could protect yourself as well as be in all the danger.
Drugs and violence controlled the streets so most of the
community wanted to be a part of it. This is seen as an
opportunity and a challenge of living in Brazils largest favela.
All violence was pacified in 2011 however.
• Corrupt politicians were a huge challenge of living in Rocinha.

6. The effect of the 2014 World Cup
• When Brazil faced Germany in the semi-finals of the
2014 World Cup, Germany had thrashed them 7-1.
This caused outrage in the cities and favelas with
riots, protests and violence. Not to mention it didn’t
help the citizens with their views on their
government.
• However the positive side of the 2014 WC is that
when Brazil were winning, peace and happiness was
spread all over the country, favela or city.