Brazil has in recent years been my favourite holiday destination. Not your normal package holiday living in hotels and being herded around by tour reps but staying with Brazilian friends and living the Brazilian life.
I’ve been to five of the 26 states and many cities over the last seven years. Only this year did I get to the beach for the first time. But it doesn’t matter where you visit, Brazil is a very beautiful country and it’s people are most welcoming.
So why is beautiful Brazil dangerous and violent? Not everywhere of course but big cities in particular do have no-go areas. Foreign visitors should show caution by not parading expensive cameras and jewellery or flashing bundles of cash in public places.
A large proportion of the population are poor. Really poor. Work is hard to come by and well-paid work even harder. Housing for the poor is pitiful and I have witnessed people living in conditions that you wouldn’t keep farm animals in.
Basic education is free but higher education is expensive and beyond the means of the poor. It is therefore impossible for most poor people to obtain the qualifications to get a decent job. They are in an education trap.
No education; no well-paid job. In order to keep people who live in the poorest areas from applying some bosses require qualifications from applicants for menial jobs. The salaries of course are miserably low. So the poor have a choice; no-job or a ‘work-your-nuts-off’ poorly paid job.
Buying a home is impossible and rents in ‘normal’ areas are more than the minimum wage that the ‘lucky’ ones earn. Many of Brazil’s poor migrate to the favelas (shanty towns). Generally these are the no-go areas, run by a drugs baron or renegade police who terrorise the residents. Not all Brazil’s poor live in the favelas but millions do.
Some of Brazil’s poor turn to crime to survive. Drugs barons recruit both children and adults to sell drugs to Brazil’s rich and of course the gringos (tourists). The same people could be selling you illicit drugs one day and robbing you the next.
This mix of poor education, unemployment or low-paid work and lack of decent housing, all basic human rights, inevitably result in a proportion of the disaffected population becoming violent criminals.
Can you blame these people when they are denied all basic human rights? Is poverty the only reason for Brazil’s violent society? I will explore these questions in part 2.
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I don’t pretend to be an expert on Brazil or to be as familiar with the country as the author; however, I have visited twice and have spent a total of eight weeks in the country. When people raise the issue of violence in Brazil, it nearly always elicits the same sorts of reactions.
Firstly, Brazilians get indignant and defensive and try to suggest that the level of crime and violence is not particularly bad and is confined to certain areas.
Secondly, backpacker types who have developed a fixation with Brazil also tend to downplay the violence and crime and spout the usual platitudes about not wearing jewellry in or near dodgy areas etc (It’s no surprise that if you stayed in youth hostels and went on excursions in groups, then your exposure to crime was correspondingly reduced)
Finally, other people state that they believe Brazil has a real problem with violence and crime. I am in this catergory. It’s not just the violence and crime itslef, the real reason why I could never countenance living in Brazil is the fear of crime and how it affects the quality of life of Brazilian citizens. In order to stay safe, you need enough money to live in a good area and have a car – both central to limiting exposure to crime. I’m not suggesting that visitors will be attacked or mugged etc, but if for example, a European visitor to Brazil behaves as if he is still in Europe, then chances are that something will happen sooner or later in most areas of Brazil.
I know I will probably be attacked for being “negative”, but there is nothing wrong in being honest about this issue and downplaying the existence of the crime problem in Brazil may lead to people who belive this being placed in danger if they travel to Brazil.
I corrected your original comment. If that is not what you meant please let me know.
Corrigi seu comentário original. Se isso não é o que você entende por favor me avise.
Exactly the points I am making in the article.
Hi, sorry I wrote wrong! Brazil has no job! has some mistakes!
Hi, I liked what you wrote! Brazil is very full of wonders, full of natural! but Brazil is not poor, Brazil is rich, there are corrupt politicians who steal all our money! If Brazil has slums is because they have [no job]! many leaving their homes, towns and leave their families to have a better job, then they start work bring their families and then become unemployed and have no money to pay the rent then they build houses of wood on top of environmental areas! bye
Your blog is interesting!
Keep up the good work!
Thanks for your kind comments Enrique I enjoyed our discussions tremendously. I was pleased in particular to discuss Brazil in relation to my article. Hopefully i will publish part 2 soon and it will certainly be enhanced by facts I gleaned from or discussion. Best wishes. Dave
Hello David,
First of all I would like to say that it was an enormous pleasure to meet you in my small home town in Brazil. It was something quite unusual (almost surreal) this rare opportunity to chat about different kinds of British, Brazilian and European issues with a nice fellow like you, David. Thank you for all your kindness and patience, specially considering my limited skills in English.
Best,
Enrique