View to a favela in the Rio de Janeiro south zone (Catete neighborhood).
Safety in Rio de Janeiro favelas (slums) depends on many factors. Here is an overview of what makes a favela safe or dangerous.
First of all, you need to understand that the authorities in Rio de Janeiro have decided to pacify several favelas in the city and make them safe areas.
In other words, they have decided to bring to justice the drug lords and their personal armies from dozens of favelas until the Summer Olympic Games in 2016 (which, by the way, will be in the Rio de Janeiro winter!).
The pacification process consists of, first of all, sending the special police force called BOPE to take over the favela, including the drug lord house.
Then, several military police stations are built and several surveillance cameras are installed to monitor the favela. From this moment, the favela becomes patrolled 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
Peace keeping police car at the entrance of favela Santa Marta.
The control of favelas in Rio de Janeiro is shifting then from the drug lords’ hands to the government and the police hands. As a result, these favelas — the pacified ones — have become safer. Some of them are even safer the neighborhoods surrounding them.
For a tourist, these favelas are so to speak safe to visit, especially those that have been pacified several years ago such as Pavão-Pavãozinho, Cantagalo, and Santa Marta.
Some favelas even have local guides at the entrance to tour tourists inside and tell them the story of the favela.
Vista of Rio de Janeiro from favela Santa Marta.
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