Stairways, backalleys, concrete huts, dealers and slums, today was all about the favelas... Located on the sloping hillsides of Rio, were the houses built upon houses that made up the favelas, and as there is no room to expand they grow taller, building on top of each other. Our trip into Rio´s less affluent neighborhoods had been framed by the recent political activity, which the driver narrated en route. Due to the world cup, the Brazilian government had looked to clean up the drugs in the favelas, moving big name criminals who control the drugs trade from inside prison, to a high security facility. The criminals reacted by ordering gang members to attack and burn vehicles, which would garner media attention. Ours, however, was a comparatively stable slum located between the contrasting wealthy parts of Rio,
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