Brazilian officials have less than a year to prepare Rio de Janeiro for the 2016 Summer Olympics. We’ve already seen disturbing photos of the water sports site from the air and shore, but these images shows how dispossessed locals are living among the ruins of their former homes, right next to the future Olympic Park.
Vila Autodromo ‘favela’, a former fishing colony, lies directly adjacent to the Olympic Park that’s under construction for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Vila Autodromo was pretty much sentenced to death: most of its residents — circa 700 families — have been forced to move out, triggering clashes between police and residents in July. Since then their properties have been demolished, and they have received some compensation for their homes.
Evictions and demolitions continue in the area, but clashes break out from time to time since a few remaining families are resisting the controversial evictions, choosing instead to remain in their battered homes. Getty photographer Mario Tama’s latest images document the situation in the area — which was once considered one of the city’s safest locations.
Photos: Mario Tama/Getty Images