A boy and girl play with their parents’ smartphones in the newly pacified favela of Vidigal in Rio de Janeiro. 10 years ago this neighborhood was off limits because of the violence that took place. If you didn’t live there, you never went in. Now the area has been pacified with police present on nearly every street corner.
As a result of the pacification, hostels and guesthouses are starting to pop up and you can even take organized favela tours that walk you through the neighborhood and explain its history. We spent 6 weeks at a guesthouse in Vidigal and got to know some of people of the neighborhood. While favela life is far from perfect, the people of Vidigal seem optimistic.
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Sounds like they have turned things around in this neighborhood.
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