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Latest News
  • [ October 23, 2026 ] ‘We Are at Risk of Losing Everything We Hold Most Precious:’ What’s at Stake When Brazilians Head to the Polls This Sunday [OPINION] #CoronavirusWatch
  • [ October 22, 2026 ] What Do Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro Policy Platforms Intend For Favelas? #UPPWatch
  • [ October 21, 2026 ] Grassroots Movements Across the State of Rio Held 300 Pro-Democracy Rallies This Month, Show #VoicesFromSocialMedia #ParticipationWatch
  • [ October 20, 2026 ] Polling Location Changes in Favelas That Typically Support Lula Led to Significant Abstentions in Brazil’s First Round Voting, Raising Profound Ethical Questions #ParticipationWatch
  • [ October 19, 2026 ] Rio de Janeiro Public Security Experts Identify Priority Areas to Address Decades of Failed Policies #UPPWatch
HomePacifying Police Unit (UPP)

Pacifying Police Unit (UPP)

#UPPWatch

A Brief History of 40 Years of Public Security Failures in the State of Rio Since Brazil’s Return to Democracy, Part 2: Policies Failed to Deliver Solutions [2007-2026]

By Carla Regina, Julio Santos Filho • Translation by Staff • October 14, 2026

Clique aqui para Português This article is part of a series on the 2026 Brazilian elections, focusing on the perspectives of Greater Rio’s favelas. It is also the second installment of a two-part article on the […]

#LegacyWatch

10 Years After Rio Olympics: The Persistence of Structural Disinvestment in Rio’s Majority Working-Class Suburbs [OPINION]

By Hugo Costa • Translation by Ikrom Alajoulin • July 30, 2026

Clique aqui para Português This article is part of our series reflecting on the impacts of mega-events on Rio de Janeiro 10 years after the 2016 Olympic Games. When I published my first article on RioOnWatch […]

*Highlight

Critical Urban Park in Rio de Janeiro’s North Zone Is at Risk of Disappearing After Decades of Government Neglect

By Fernanda Delatorre • Translation by Sia Kulkarni • May 30, 2026

Clique aqui para Português This article is part of a series created in partnership with the Behner Stiefel Center for Brazilian Studies at San Diego State University, to produce articles for the Digital Brazil Project on environmental justice in the favelas […]

#ParticipationWatch

‘International Favelas Conference’ Promotes a (dis)Integrated City: From Erasing Favela Residents to Global Marketing [OPINION]

By Charlie Gomes • Translation by Kay Alvito • April 2, 2026

Clique aqui para Português Preface: Public Policies Without Active Listening Don’t Bring Change The “International Favelas Conference,” which took place on March 17 and 18, organized by the Brazilian Institute of Architects’ Rio de Janeiro […]

#UPPWatch

‘Grief to Action’ Personified in ‘Cuca,’ Who Lost His Brother to Rio de Janeiro’s Infamous Police Brutality [PROFILE]

By Lucas Novello, Vinícius Ribeiro • Translation by Sylvia Schiller • February 26, 2025

Clique aqui para Português This article is part of RioOnWatch‘s series on Memories of Favela Power, which documents and celebrates the history of Rio de Janeiro’s favelas through narratives and reports from residents’ collective memory, in […]

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RioOnWatch’s anti-racist reporting series won silver in the 2022 inaugural The Anthem Awards, in the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion category among Best Local Awareness Programs.
A Project of

About

In May 2010, Catalytic Communities launched what was originally Rio Olympics Neighborhood Watch (hence RioOnWatch), a program to bring visibility to favela community voices in the lead-up to the 2016 Rio Olympics. This news site, RioOnWatch.org, grew into a much-needed and unique reference featuring favela perspectives on the urban transformation of Rio. With diverse and deeply interlinked articles by a mix of community reporters, resident opinions, solidarity reporters, international observers, and academic researchers, we work to engender a more accurate picture of favelas, their contributions to the city, and the potential of favela-led community development in Rio and around the world.

Contact & Support

contact@rioonwatch.org
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10 Years! Check Out Our Story:

Awards

Special Thanks

Fundação Heinrich Böll Brasil
World Habitat
Fideicomiso de la Tierra Caño Martín Peña
Pastoral de Favelas
Center for CLT Innovation
Global Land Alliance
Ecocity Builders
Mansueto Institute for Urban Innovation
SDSU Behner Stiefel Center
The Rio Times
Forum Grita Baixada
Beto Paixão Graphic Design
Architecture Museum of Vienna
Yale School of Architecture

  • Home
    • Highlighted Stories
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  • Communities
    • Central
    • South Zone
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    • Greater Rio
  • Policies
    • Public Security
    • Housing
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Health
    • Sanitation
  • Violations
    • Human Rights
    • Housing Rights
    • Police Violence
    • Government Neglect
  • Organizing
    • Community Organizing
    • Community Solution
    • Resistance
    • Sustainability
    • Participation
    • Protest
    • Culture
    • Responsible Tourism
  • Content Map
    • by Community Contributors
    • by Int’l Observers
    • Series
      • Anti-Racist Series
      • Energy Justice Series
    • Event Reports
    • Video Stories
    • Photo-Essays
    • Interviews/Profiles
    • Research & Analysis
    • Reviews
    • Listicles
    • Opinion
    • Reference
    • Podcasts
    • Translated Articles
  • About
    • Timeline
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    • License
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