Adventures of a Gringa

Interview: Voz da Comunidade in New York

It's a long way from Complexo do Alemão to New York, but a new program brought two young journalists to the Big Apple from the Cidade Maravilhosa this month. Empowering Underserved Youth through Social Media: A Community Journalism Exchange, created by the U.S. consulate in Rio de Janeiro, was launched in January, when two young journalists from Harlem traveled to Rio.

It's clear why Renê Silva and Daiene Mendes were chosen for the program. Renê is a textbook wunderkind. At the tender age of 11, he was inspired by a school project to begin a newspaper in his community in Complexo do Alemão, given the lack of local news available there. He began writing articles and printing 100 monthly copies, eventually managing to get paid advertisments. Within five years, he was already printing several thousand copies a month. Later on, Renê launched the Voz da Comunidade website and stopped the print version. The website, now known as Voz das Comunidades, covers not only Complexo do Alemão, but also Rocinha, Santa Marta, Vigário Geral, Vila Cruzeiro, and Maré. Now 19, Renê plans to start the print edition again in April with 5,000 copies and eventually expand to 10,000.

Though he gradually gained local fame through Voz da Comunidade, it wasn't until 2010 that Renê gained national and even international recognition. When the government sent in pacifying troops to Complexo do Alemão, Renê live tweeted the events, gaining nearly 20,000 followers on the Voz da Comunidade Twitter account practically overnight. Renê attracted some high-profile fans, including TV personalities Regina Casé and Luciano Huck. He served as a consultant for Malhação, a Brazilian novela, and worked for Casé as a consultant and writer for her show. More recently, Renê got an even bigger gig: famed novela writer Glória Perez decided to put him on her newest novela, Salve Jorge, and to feature Voz da Comunidade on the show as well. Renê plans to go to college to study journalism later this year.

Daiene, age 23, is in college studying communications. Along with a day job, she also works as a volunteer journalist for Voz da Comunidade. Daiene lives near Renê, and he invited her to participate in a Voz da Comunidade event last year. Since then, she's been writing the culture column for the publication. Like Renê, she's incredibly well spoken and constantly connected to social media.

The Power of Social Media

Renê now has over 50,000 followers on his personal Twitter account and nearly 8,000 followers on Facebook. Voz da Comunidade has even more, with almost 115,000 Twitter followers. "The power of social media is infinite," Renê said. "A publication can generate a lot of noise in the media and the story can go all the way up to the government."

Renê tweets about everything in Alemão, ranging from events and local organizations to social problems--including problems happening in real time. "I think the Internet is breaking a lot of barriers," Renê told me. With just Twitter and email, for example, he can talk to someone like Luciano Huck every day.

The Future of Voz da Comunidade

Even when Renê finishes college, he wants to continue with Voz da Comunidade, which has become a source of tips for the mainstream media when it comes to what's happening at the local level in favela communities. Articles from the site sometimes lead to similar stories in large newspapers and TV stations, Daiene explained.

When I asked Renê what he hopes for the future of the organization, he was pragmatic: "I can't hope," he said. "I have to act." He wants to expand the publication to other communities with local correspondents. The Voz da Comunidade team also plans to start a new tourism project. "It's not they type of tourism 'para inglês ver,'" explained Daiene. They aim to create customized tours based on interests, ranging from public health to culture. As a registered tour guide, Daiene is working with Renê to put the project together.

Views on Pacification

Renê and Daiene showed mixed feelings about the UPPs. Renê explained that a lot of young people feel that "it's not exactly pacification; it's a process of occupation." Pacification is coming slowly. "We lived for years under a parallel power...it's a new way of life. Young people haven't adapted yet," he said.

Daiene agreed, saying the UPPs don't represent a magic bullet solution to get rid of drug trafficking. There are many other things that need to be done and the process isn't complete, she noted. "I think UPPs create a false sense of peace," Daiene said.

One of the issues for youth is dealing with police. Attracting the attention of officers can be random, and the way one dresses can affect how one is treated, they explained. An acquaintance of Renê's was recently arrested and imprisoned for two weeks after police thought he was part of a group of criminals. His crime? He had been eating lunch in bar where the criminals had allegedly been, and he was accused of being one of the group.

Daiene admitted, though, that without pacification, Voz da Comunidade wouldn't have gained the foothold it has, nor would the publication have garnered the attention of the public. Things the government had promised but never delivered finally arrived in the community. "This wasn't real before the occupation. Now it is," she said.

The New York Experience

The pair came to New York to learn not only about journalism, but also about local culture, black history, and civil rights issues in New York. Renê had already traveled to London to carry the Olympic torch, while it was Daiene's first time on an airplane. During the visit, they chronicled their travels on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube, sharing impressions of their meetings with peers in New York, visiting The New York Times, and filming their first Times Square experience. New York-based organization Brotherhood-Sister Sol played host to the pair, who also had a chance to spend time with their American counterparts who traveled to Rio in January.

They noted that the relationship between communities and police is similar in New York, particularly with stop-and-frisk. But some of the Americans they met tended to have a romantic vision of Rio, and were surprised to learn about some of the problems in the city. Similarly, Daiene said she had a different vision of New York, and saw that there were problems there, too.

Learning about some of the issues faced by peers in New York, both Renê and Daiene realized they were dealing with similar challenges, but may not have even noticed it. Renê realized that people in his community suffered with how police treat favela residents. "It's right in our face, and we don't even notice. We live there and we're used to it," he said. Coming to this conclusion inspired both to do something more. "We need to mobilize to tackle our problems," Daiene said. "What I learned from activists here is that I have to position myself...and act accordingly in a mature way." 

Renê also put what he learned into a larger perspective. When it comes to low-income communities, he said, "We suffer as much as Americans do. These are global problems--not just from Brazil or the United States."

Images: Eliseu Cavalcante. More photos of VDC in NYC here.

Q&A on Folha Internacional

Reflecting a number of changing realities in Brazil, one of the country's largest newspapers is looking to expand readership of its international section, with Brazilian news stories translated into English and Spanish. Increasingly, more and more Brazilian news is appearing in the international media, along with new English-language Brazil news sources. With the economy humming along--if not growing at previous rates--and large numbers of skilled jobs that need filling, Spanish and Portuguese professionals are flocking to Brazil. María Martín is the embodiment of these trends. Born in Alicante, this Spanish journalist now works as an editor at Folha Internacional, which was launched in July 2011. She moved to São Paulo from Madrid just a year ago, and chooses, translates, and edits web content for Folha Internacional. With native English and Spanish speakers on staff, Folha aims to reach an international audience interested in what's happening in Brazil. I asked María about Folha Internacional via email, along with her move to Brazil.

You've worked as a journalist in Spain. What brought you to Brazil?

Since I graduated five years ago, I have practiced journalism. I was trained at El País newspaper and I got hooked on the profession.  Unfortunately, the situation in Spain is not conducive to most people's professional expectations right now, and in this business, much less. Why Brazil? For some time, the news about the “economic giant of Latin America” reached Europe and I was interested in coming here, but I had no idea how I was going to make a living. It was tough: I did not speak a word of Portuguese and I didn't know anything about the culture. But I've always had the support of my sister, who I live with, and Brazilians are very welcoming.

Who is the intended readership for Folha International? Is all of the content translated from Portuguese, or do you have original pieces written specifically for Folha Internacional?

Our audience is the reader anywhere in the world with any interest in Brazil. Each day, we select the most important or interesting issues published by the newspaper and offer their translations for free. We still do not have articles written specifically for Folha Internacional, but it is an option that we haven't ruled out.

What's Folha's goal in launching these two sites?

The goal is not to limit, as a matter of language, the content of Folha, the most influential newspaper in Brazil. In general, sporting events, the economy, culture, and football are catching everyone's eye. Although the international media is responsible for informing their readers, Folha has more structure that allows it to publish great scoops, and has local journalists covering the information. The subjects are also chosen taking the reader into consideration, and edited for some specific references that can be understood by anyone who does not know the local terminology.

What advantages does Folha have over other English-language news sources that cover Brazil?


The foreign correspondent always has a different view than the local media and one that is more interesting to his readers--that is undeniable--but his infrastructure is limited: only one person covering a country of 190 million people. Folha is the largest newspaper in Brazil and covers many topics exclusively and invests a lot of work in original approaches. Also, the Folha Internacional site has free and unlimited access, while the most other online content out there is under a paywall system.

Follow María on Twitter.

Image: Courtesy of María Martín.

A Tale of Two Rios

Even a few years ago as Rio's resurgence was beginning, there were two Rios as far as outsiders were concerned. There was the postcard Rio: the beaches in Ipanema and Copacabana, the Christ statue and Sugarloaf, Maracanã and the Sambodrome. Then there was another Rio, incredibly rich in history and full of cultural gems: Santa Teresa, Escadaria Selarón, the old city center, excellent museums, the Portuguese Library, the Teatro Municipal, Praça XV..the list goes on. Sometimes tourists would experience both Rios, but the allure of the city for outsiders--considered for years to be a city in decline--lay in the attraction of its natural beauty, Carnival, and soccer. In other words, Rio has always been an interesting destination in terms of culture and history, but it was never quite taken seriously because of a combination of lack of security, investment, PR, and a reputation as a "real" cultural center. And despite being the headquarters for Petrobras, BNDES, and other large Brazilian corporations, it was never really taken seriously as a business city, either.

But as the city's renaissance began, the two Rios began to move closer together. This became abundantly clear this week when The New York Times named Rio as the number one place to visit in 2013 "because the whole world will be there in 2014." Appearing on CNN, Times travel editor Dan Saltzstein explained why Rio was the paper's top pick--and not just because of the World Cup and Olympics. "It's not exactly a new destination," he said, "but there are new reasons to go." Echoing the article, Salzstein listed mostly cultural destinations, and said "the arts are booming." In addition to "formly decrepit areas being revived," namely the port area, he named literary festivals, the partially inaugurated City of Arts cultural center in Barra, the forthcoming Rio Museum of Art, and the planned Museum of Tomorrow as reasons to go. Now, with the mega-events and growing investments, Rio is being taken more seriously as a "high culture" destination.

Rio, too, for expats was traditionally a place for researchers, English teachers, oil company executives, and the occasional multinational employee. Now, there's been a small explosion of foreign correspondents and a growing tide of foreign professionals. When I moved to Rio in 2007, there was almost no English news coverage of Rio--just a few major international outlets which would publish mostly about major events. Now, there are dozens of sources, some reporting daily. "For many years, São Paulo has been the place for multinationals to open a Brazil office," an August 2011 Economist article explains. But, it goes on, "it is no longer foolish to let prospective expats fly down to Rio to take a look." More and more young American professionals are heading to Rio for short-term stints to get "Brazil experience," opting to work in growing number of companies in the Cidade Maravilhosa rather than São Paulo.

Still, expats and frequent Brazil travelers often argue that tourists should avoid Rio and see what the rest of the continent-sized country has to offer. (I find that the argument is more common among expats based in São Paulo, but anyway). Rio, some say, isn't the "real" Brazil and that tourists should experience other places. And while it's true that you could spend a lifetime exploring Brazil, I can't see any reason why a first-time visitor would skip Rio. There was no good reason before, and there still isn't now.

Photo: Rio's historic downtown, Ariane Mittidieri

Locked Up: Brazil's Prison Policies

While the international media had a heyday with strange news tidbits from Brazil's prisons, few have explored the complexities of the country's incarceration system. There are a number of policies and programs in place to try to protect prisoners' rights and reduce the inmate population, though a new penal code could have important implications for the overburdened prison system.

Estimated at around 500,000, Brazil's prisoner population is the fourth-largest in the world. The inmate population tripled in the last 15 years. Many prisons are overcrowded, with an estimated deficit of 200,000 spots for prisoners. At present, the country's prison population is 66 percent larger than the actual system has room for. Terrible conditions and human rights abuses are frequently cited as consequences of overcrowding. (Corruption of prison guards is also a problem, allowing drug traffickers to continue operating with impunity, sometimes from thousands of kilometers away.) So in order to contain the prisoner population, many new policies are focused on reducing the number of prisoners and shortening sentences. But it's important to note that while some of prisoner programs and policies might be considered innovative by some, in Brazil--where crime affects the daily life of much of the population--much of public opinion tends to be against prisoners' rights.

The big news over the past two weeks comes out of a prison in a small town in Minas Gerais, where jailmates ride stationary bikes to create electricity and earn reduced sentences. The idea is for the inmates--who range from petty thieves to murderers--to be productive, make the town safer by providing electricity for public lighting, and theoretically, to reduce recidivism and the overcrowded prison population.

Another story that came out recently is about a program that offers reduced sentences to inmates who read books, and prove they've read them by writing reports. Called Redemption through Reading, the program will be launched at four high-security prisons with some of the country's most hardened criminals. Federal prisons are also offering education programs to reduce sentences by going back to school.

There are already policies in place that seek to protect prisoners' rights and try to reduce recidivism. Perhaps one of the most controversial policies is that of the "prisoner's grant." Called the auxílio-reclusão, dependents of prisoners serving time receive up to R$915 (US$449) per family per month. In order to qualify for the benefit, the prisoner must be a contributor to the social security system, and cannot be working or earn a salary from a former job. He cannot receive money from a pension or sick leave, either. Also, the inmate must have earned equal or less than R$915 at his most recent job. In other words, the program targets low-income families of prisoners.

It's an incredibly controversial program, since those opposed not only disagree with the state supporting criminals' families, but also the fact that the monthly amount is more than the minimum wage, which stands at R$622 (US$305) nationally. Because of the growing prison population, the government's expenditures on this program increased by 60 percent from 2006 to 2009. Those opposed to the program also argue it rewards and even incentivizes crime. Last year, a congressman introduced a bill to prohibit the auxílio-reclusão to families of criminals convicted of rape, murder, and drug trafficking.

Next, there's the right to intimate visits, which are guaranteed to all prisoners, regardless of crime or sentence, by law. (There's an interesting National Geographic special on this topic, which you can watch here and here.) The law also accounts for gay couples. The idea is that these visits help prisoners' mental health and can potentially reduce recidivism. There are also work programs, which enable prisoners to reduce sentences through employment. There are even entrepreneurship programs that encourage prisoners to start their own businesses while still in prison.

But over the coming months, a new penal code could have an impact on Brazil's prison system. Currently under development in the Senate, the code is one of the most important pieces of legislation that will be under consideration during Dilma's presidency. Along with altering punishment and sentences for an array of crimes, the new code could increase the maximum sentence. Currently, the maximum sentence a prisoner can service is 30 years, regardless of the crime committed. Under the new code, this could increase to 40 years. Another big change is the proposal to reduce the age of criminal responsibility. Currently, it's 18 years of age in Brazil, but the new code could reduce the age to 13. A separate bill is under consideration in the Senate to reduce the age to 16, and could be voted on this year. While legislators hope the new penal code could discourage crime, it will undoubtedly have an impact on the size of the prisoner population, making prison policy even more critical over the next few years.

Photo: Karen Ferreira

Brazil Through the Media Lens

Something that drives some Brazilians and Brazil observers crazy is the international media's tendency to constant relate Brazil's misfortunes to the upcoming World Cup and Olympics. After three buildings collapsed in Rio last week, likely due to illegal construction in one of the buildings, one of the most prevalent messages throughout the English-language coverage of the tragedy was relating the events to Brazil's preparedness for the international events. Not about Brazil's building codes, or construction laws, or safety regulations (luckily, some people did cover those issues, as you'll see shortly, and there are still plenty of talented journalists providing great coverage of Brazil), but just the basics of the aftermath and why the tragedy reflects poorly on Brazil's upcoming events. Just search for terms related to the building collapse with Olympics or World Cup and you'll find dozens of results. It's not that they're completely off target; some of the articles are thoughtful and sensible, like this one from the Christian Science Monitor, which delves into some of the important issues about construction. But it makes you wonder if journalists are legitimately connecting current events to the Olympics, or if the editorial directive is to make that connection in order to inspire interest in readers.

It's not as if there has been a shortage of tragic events in Rio in particular; as Julia Michaels explains on Rio Real Blog, "In the last year Rio has seen exploding manhole covers, trolley, ferry and bus accidents, metro stoppages and electrical blackouts, among other catastrophes." She also went on to discuss the background of what happened, and why it could theoretically happen again, and why it's a serious issue for the city. But in the mainstream media, the imperative seems to be to connect any negative news events in Brazil to the World Cup and Olympics. To give you an idea of how pervasive this narrative has become, my grandmother brought it up of her own accord over the holidays, mentioning she'd been reading and hearing about it on the news.

The same types of speculations were made about South Africa before the World Cup, wondering if they would be ready in time. Things worked out fine, in the end, and they likely will in Brazil, too, even if things wrap up at the last minute or if certain projects have to be abandoned. The more important questions, of whether all of the preparations for the events will benefit Brazil, or if rushing to finish projects for the events will negatively impact the country (as in, buildings collapsing out of thin air), are discussed infrequently outside of Brazil in the mainstream media. It begs to question: once 2016 rolls around, will anyone want to cover Brazil anymore? Without the big international events to constantly peg news to, will readers and viewers care? Or will Brazil gradually lose space in the international press, particularly in the English-language press? It even makes me wonder if they'll pull correspondents after the Olympics wrap up--it seems possible, sadly, despite Brazil's continually growing global importance.

It's possible another tactic to take will be on that some outlets already use: constantly mixing inappropriate references to stereotypical aspects of Brazilian culture to serious news pieces. It's something I've written about before, and is an unfortunate ongoing trend. In some articles, it seems difficult for outsiders to treat Brazil as they would a developed country, constantly needing to throw in some banal reference to samba or bikinis. Two recent examples: a comprehensive BBC article about the Brazilian economy, an excellent piece that was trivialized presumably by an editor who decided on the title: "Brazil's economy marches to a samba beat." There was also an otherwise insightful Wall Street Journal article about start ups in Brazil, but included an unrelated photo of a Carnival dancer (with a caption making a tenuous connection to the article) and this paragraph:

"Obviously, as everyone says, Brazil is the next China—it's now the sixth-largest economy in the world. 'The not-obvious part,' Julio Vasconcellos, cofounder and chief executive of Peixe Urbano, told me, 'is there is a ton of opportunity here and very few people taking advantage of it.' Why isn't every sunny young Brazilian with a tech idea taking the leap? Because, beyond the thongs, they've got issues. (Who doesn't?)."

It may seem trivial to point out this kind of framing of Brazil, but as I've written before, I do think it makes a difference in the long run of how foreigners perceive, and consequently interact with Brazil. It also helps perpetuate the complexo de vira-lata, as aptly mentioned in the WSJ article. The World Cup and Olympics actually can provide a break from this type of stereotypical and sometimes inappropriate framing of Brazil, even if mentioning the events isn't always warranted. But it does make me wonder what Brazil's "hook" will be in the international media after 2016. I guess we can expect a lot more samba references. 

Q&A With Anderson Antunes

Anderson Antunes is a Brazilian journalist based in Europe who writes the South American Way blog for Forbes, focusing on current events in Brazil. He's a thoughtful and perceptive observer of Brazilian trends, culture, and news, and he's written about everything from jewelry heists to supermodel Gisele, from movies to lawsuits. He also writes about famous Brazilians, from Eike Batista to Rafinha Bastos. In addition to the blog, he uses Twitter to share information about Brazil. I asked him a few questions about his career and his thoughts on how Brazil is covered in the international press.

Tell me a little bit about your career. What got you interested in journalism, and how'd you end up at Forbes?

I became a journalist in 2005. I’ve always been interested in news and everything related to it. During my high school years, I spend a lot of time studying the period in which Fernando Collor was the president of Brazil, for an essay that I was writing at the time, and, as a result, I had to do a lot of research. I used to spend entire afternoons at my school’s library going through their archives of magazines like Veja and IstoÉ, reading everything about that particular time of Brazil’s history. I guess it was love at first sight and that was when I knew I had to become a journalist. I’ve written, either as a freelance journalist or as a contributing writer, for several publications in the United States, the UK and Brazil. Right now I also work as a contributor for Glamurama, writing for both their website and some of their magazines, such as Poder. Forbes came to me asking if I was interested in writing about Brazil, from a ‘Brazilian living abroad’ point of view. I just had to say yes.

You write a lot about Brazil in English for an international audience. What do you think it's important for foreign readers to know about Brazil?

Well, there’s a lot of interest in Brazil and all things Brazilian right now. That’s why I was asked by Forbes to write on things related to my native country. I’m not exactly covering politics or economics, as a lot of other people are doing exactly that. My goal is to give a glimpse to worldwide readers of what attracts Brazilians' interest, what’s news around there and why that’s relevant in a global scenario.

You've written about women's issues and gay rights. Why are those important topics in terms of news in Brazil?

I guess Brazil is growing at a very fast pace, not only economically but also socially. Those issues are very present in Brazilians' lives today, but they are still seen as some sort of taboo. I have the chance to analyze all that from far, which gives me a different perspective and, sometimes, it even surprises me. I believe Brazil needs to address those issues if it wants to become a truly important player in a globalized world. Right now, I think we still have a long road ahead of us.

You've also written a bit about Globo, from novelas to Fátima Bernardes. Why does Globo interest you from a cultural perspective?

When you talk about Brazil’s entertainment industry, is there anything else to talk but Globo? It is the biggest and the most influential media group in South America, they have a social relevance that deserves attention.

Which Brazil-related topics do you feel are missing from the international press?

I think it’s time for the worldwide press to stop spoiling us and actually writing about what’s happening around there. Foreigners still have a ‘misguided’ idea of what Brazil really is. Some people think it’s the best country in the world, which is not true. Some thing it’s the worst, which is not true either. The press is concentrating too much on things such as our economics and missing important points about our people, our culture and who we really are and why we are so proud of our country.

You live in Paris. What do you miss most about Brazil?

Actually, I’m in London right now but, yes, I’m based in Paris (probably moving to London next year). At this time of the year, I must say I miss THE WEATHER! And that’s coming from someone who doesn’t really appreciate high temperatures that much. But I love being abroad and experiencing new things every day. Besides, I usually feel at home whenever I see a Brazilian, what happens a lot. Brazilians are everywhere these days!

Read Anderson's blog, South American Way

Revitalizing Rio

Last week, a feature story from Travel + Leisure Magazine began circulating amongst Cariocas and Rio gringos, and I thought it was worth analyzing.

The article, entitled Revitalizing Rio de Janeiro, was written by an enthusiastic New York and London-based journalist and details Rio's reemergence as a city and a destination. I recommend reading the whole piece first. Go ahead, I'll wait.

On one hand, the article really does a fantastic job of giving Rio great and well-deserved PR. Tourists are sometimes intimidated by Rio, and the article is very encouraging to those who might have their doubts. More tourism in the long run (rather than relying soley for the two upcoming mega-events) is one of the ultimate goals in upgrading the city's infrastructure. Also, it's important to note that the article is written with a specific audience in mind - a worldly and well-heeled crowd, much more so than your run-of-the-mill vacation seeker.

It's tempting to become starry-eyed when you travel in Rio, especially if it's your first time. It's extremely difficult not to fall in love with the city and sometimes it can be hard not to romanticize even one's own experiences. So I definitely can relate, since it's tempting to want to extoll the virtues of a place that is so easy to love, at the outset. I've also found that with stories like this, particularly features on Rio, the tendency is to either be very positive (some Cariocas described the story as ufanista, or excessively patriotic) or very negative (see this ESPN story, for example) But it's also important to be realistic and rational, and here are some areas I thought were worth discussing.

1. Optimism

It's true that Rio seems to be bursting at the seams with optimism, something I also noticed on my recent trip. Many Cariocas are happy with changes in Rio, some stemming from preparations to play host to the World Cup and the Olympics in the next few years, be it extended subway lines or improved public safety (though I'll get to that in a minute). But I also think that economic growth has a lot to do with the optimism, since people are much happier when they have money in their wallets and greater prospects for the future. The overall growth of the Brazilian economy and its immediate effects on the local economy, as well as the growing importance of Rio as a hub for multinational companies and the effects of the influx of those new people and businesses, have been a large part of the everyday optimism you might see.

On the other hand, not all Cariocas are brimming with optimism. Many are still frustrated with public security, and everyone is unhappy with rising prices, which have reached exorbitant levels in some areas, like real estate. Also, after it was recently announced that Maracanã Statidum would only host the finals of the World Cup, which means the Brazilian national team may not even play there, some Cariocas voiced their frustration with the multi-million dollar reforms that may have very little impact on the city or its people in the long run.

The Travel + Leisure story closes with some quotes from Regina Casé, which some found to be off-putting. She's quoted as saying: “In Rio, we invite all the problems to a big party and we let them dance together.”

One of my readers, Claudio, a Carioca illustrator, explained his thoughts.

"Yeah, things are a bit better here, but mostly because 'rock bottom = no place to go but up.' I live on the West Side of Rio, not too far from Barra beach. The traffic has only gotten worse, and you get gridlocked regardless of rush hours. I don't go out at night, because the streets aren't really safe, with criminals posing as cops and putting up false checkpoints to rob citizens. Regina Casé's notion of 'we invite problems and let them dance' is actually a philosophy that somewhat brought this whole mess upon ourselves. Brazilians (and cariocas) have a tendency of getting too complacent, of finding a way around problems instead of trying to solve them. There is nothing to be proud of in that kind of mentality."

2. Beach democracy

While at first glance it might seem like Rio's beaches are "democratic," since people from different social classes frequent them. But it's not quite the case. Beaches tend to be segmented by social class - in Copacabana and Ipanema, for example, each "post" tends to have a specific group. While Posto 9 has traditionally been a hang out for the wealthy, other posts tend to have beachgoers from working-class suburbs or from favelas. Even Prainha, which is small in comparison, has fragmented segments. It's an unspoken rule that everyone should stay in his or her place - even on the beach. As for Vik Muniz's allegation that Cariocas drop everything to go to the beach every day at 4PM - I can only imagine that maybe he was taken out of context. Even he knows that the very large majority those who work are hardly running from the office to the beach. Most are just getting out of work and trying to go home at the end of the day.

3. Snobbery

One of the lines in the story that seemed to bother Cariocas was the author's claim that "it’s pointless being a snob in Rio." There was also the bit that said, "In Rio de Janeiro, those who have privilege admire those who don’t." That snobbery doesn't exist in Rio is laughable, and I found it odd that considering that the author seemed to spend a good deal of time amongst the wealthy, he didn't seem to notice (or maybe didn't want to point it out).

Fellow blogger Corin, who's written extensively about Brazil, told me this in reference to the snobbery aspect:

"When, for instance, I told a friend of mine who lives in Ipanema that I'd spent the day out in Madureira, his response was actually "EW" -- as if "poor" were contagious. Another person -- on the way to her gated condo complex near Angra -- told me that "whenever we find some beautiful place, 'they' have to go and make it look ugly [by constructing a favela]." (She didn't seems to wonder or care where "the help" lived -- only that they were neither seen nor heard.) I've always had the distinct feeling that there's a whole class of folks for whom 'Rio de Janeiro' extends only as far as North as Centro -- and even then only the 'asfalto."

On the other hand, it's true that some members of the upper class like to play down their social status, it certainly doesn't mean they admire those who live in favelas. Claudio explained it this way:

"Now, if you go to an upscale shopping mall, it's common to see wealthy 20-somethings wearing tattered jeans, flip-flops and a flimsy t-shirt. It's trendy among the youth in Rio to downplay how wealthy they are, to proudly proclaim how they go to pagode houses in Lapa or eat standing at the counter of this or that streetside bar, etc. On the other hand, middle-class or lower-middle-class people usually "dress up" when they go to the mall. Kinda topsy-turvy, really."

But other than social reformers and those who work with NGOs, you'd be hard-pressed to find upper class Cariocas that defend the existence of favelas, or boast of having friends there.

4. Flip Flops

I was a little confused by the author's claim that he saw people wearing flip flops at City Hall. Business attire is pretty strict, and it's unthinkable that a professional would show up to work in flip flops, especially in government. My best guess is that they were lost tourists, or maybe some construction workers passing through.

5. Security

I think this was the part of the article that was the most problematic, since much of the references to crime and security were written in the past tense. Unfortunately, it's not the case that Rio's security problems are a thing of the past. There was one part of the article where a person seemed to imply that people no longer use bullet proof cars, and declared that people roll down their windows now. People who drive cars without air conditioning have always been rolling down their windows, and for those who can afford it (a small elite), bullet-proofed vehicles are still the norm. The author also quotes Fernando Gabeira as saying, “Security is an impression as much as it is a reality. If people think things are better, they are better.” While I'd agree this is more applicable to economics - even the impression of wealth has helped generate even more optimism around the economy - it doesn't apply as much to security.

While Rio has come a long way, crime statistics are still grim. Though murder rates have supposedly gone down (though there's speculation about those numbers), other crimes are on the rise. Flash kidnappings, for example, more than doubled for the period of April to June from 2010 to 2011.

Crime still plagues many of Brazil's big cities. A recent IBOPE report found that 51 percent of Brazilians consider public security as bad or terrible. Greg Michener summarized the report on his blog:

"Within the last twelve months more than 51% of Brazilians give public safety a failing grade; 79% say they have witnessed or experienced some type of crime within the last 12 months; 63% say they avoid carrying money while circulating around their respective cities; 57% report that they have increased the caution they take when leaving their houses; and 54% avoid going out at night."

On my recent trip to Rio, my husband and his friends were reminiscing about friends who had died young. A friend who lives in the Zona Norte, one of the working class suburbs, matter-a-factly commented that he'd witnessed executions from his window. "The cost of life is so cheap," he said. Then he changed the subject.

After the IBOPE report came out, Rio-based crime reporter Jorge Antonio Barros asked his readers on Twitter how they have changed their habits to avoid crime. One reader who lives in Rio wrote: "I haven't changed any habits. It's just that I don't walk around with money. I always have my debit card and my metro card. If I get robbed, I give up everything and block the cards later."

The article seems to imply that militias are a thing of the past. They're still very much a problem, particularly in the Zona Oeste and Zona Norte. And even though the government has been cracking down on them, it's unclear if impunity will reign as usual. Just this weekend, prison officials were forced to explain why 2,600 cans of beer were delivered to a prison, likely to be served to former police officers behind bars for a range of crimes. In September, a former police officer accused of 16 murders escaped from the same prison, and once he was out, he allegedly began plotting to murder a local politician. So in the Travel + Leisure article, when it said (past tense) that the poor used to fear police, and the wealthy were skeptical of police, it really should have said that many people, regardless of social class, still fear the police.

So it's always nice to see an article like this, especially in contrast to some of the more bleak pieces on poverty and crime. But it's also nice to see some perspective. Corin described her thoughts on the article. "I mean, I guess anyone would like to visit the Rio he went to: the political left and right are singing kumbaya, the poor are respected, the rich are respectful, and even the models don't have eating disorders." The Rio in this article is the kind of Rio everyone is hoping for, but isn't quite there yet.