retour au tiers-monde? Back to the "Third World"?

There have been twelve hits from "stray bullets" in the last 24 hours in Rio, which have already left three dead. According to statistics released yesterday, violent crime rose 14% between 2013 and 2014, although deaths dropped by 11%, and inflation ratched up to 6.9% - numbers that justify serious concerns about the future of Brazil. I spent Saturday afternoon visiting a friend Healer in one of the formerly worst sections of the Zona Norte, Anchieta. Many of the houses had become much more livable than I had remembered from my first visit, twenty five years ago. Indeed, with the improving economy and the absence of inflation, many owners in the favelas have covered their brick walls with plaster and tile, and have significantly improved the quality of their dwellings. Some also relocated to high-rise buildings with more "modern amenities", opening up a bit of space for access and parking, now that many in this neighborhood own a car.

On the outskirts of the area of Taquara, there is enough space for a favela to formalize into a well organized neighborhood

Along the way, sporadic sites of infrastructural development aim to complete a high-speed transit system that will connect the airport (20 miles away, on the other side of Tijuca Peak) to the Olympic City. There is little activity at most of these sites, and one wonders how it the titanic project will be possibly completed within a year and a half; but, where there is activity (less than 1% along the way), the manpower is plenty, and the Brazilian optimism is forever undaunted. Or is it?

Major problems loom ahead, well beyond the Olympic park. According to Marcos, a long time PhD friend from MIT, ex-top-level management consultant-turned entrepreneur - back to consulting, the labor party (PT) began cutting funds for essential long-term programs back under the first Lula government (early 2000s), and the devastating consequences are only beginning to materialize. It is not only the Federal University budget that has been cut, slicing among others the Medical School budget (previously discussed); it is all education. Teachers fifteen years ago had a recognized social status; today, the public feels sorry for them "oh, you're a teacher". Having myself taught in several public schools in the US, the low level of respect for teachers does not sound to me much different from that of teachers in the USA however. But the fund attrition at all levels in the Brazilian education system, plus the corruption scandals, added to alleged blindness by high-level Federal government officials who are incapable of figuring out what the real data shows, present a blend that is frightening to the middle and upper classes.

Furthermore, as I went into more favelas, especially in the Zona Norte, such as the Complexo do Alemao (next write up), I realized that I had grossly underestimated the squalor in which several million cariocas live. No matter how kind many of the residents are, the environment in which they live impedes any hope for a better future, which inevitably affects childrens' perception of the future, all the more if their teachers are not motivated (or educated) to show a much better role model. Numerous very skinny young women who appear to be barely late teen-agers walk around with a baby in their arms; their very petite size reflects lingering malnutrition which must affects their child. 

Riding a municipal bus through one of the most crime-ridden parts of the city, between Vicente and Madureira, an infant did not stop crying for the half hour that it was on board; as soon as its mom descended from the bus in Rio das Pedras (adjacent to the Hollywood-made-famous Cidade de Deus, but much worse a neighborhood), women on the bus commented that the infant was starving; much worse, they said the mother clearly had no clue and appeared to lack the resources for feeding it (not enough breast, being herself malnourished).

Marcos however, as many carioca, has a lifestyle here that he could not dream of having anywhere else. He restructured his personal goals to give full priority to his health, and he seldom works more than 6 hours in a day, with financial compensation sufficient to allow him a very comfortable lifestyle. No other place but Rio could offer such a tradeoff between appreciated professional skills and personal benefits. In addition to his long-term swimming and body-building exercise, he has recently begun exploring the trails now safe enough to be wandered, and has found marvels with minimal hiking. 

Parque da Pedra Branca
20min drive from Marcos' + 30 min walk

Favela Vidigal

Rio's natural wonders can never be overstated and, perhaps oblivious, the infinite embrace of Christ seems to protect all the people. Contrasts... but how long can the extremes stand without imploding?

Le Christ embrassant pauvres et riches, voitures et anes,
le fric et la crasse

En 24 heures, le journal rapporte que 12 personnes ont ete atteintes par des balles perdues, dont trois sont decedees. Le journal enchaine avec les dernieres statistiques revelant que la criminalite a Rio a augmente de 14% entre 2013 et 2014 (les morts violentes ont diminue de 11%) et l'inflation remonte a 6,9%, ce qui peint un avenir tres mediocre et de quoi serieusement inquieter la classe moyenne.

Samedi apres midi, je me suis rendu chez un ami dont l'epouse est Mae de Santo et qui avait depuis longtemps offert de me passer un bain purificateur. Vieira et Dona Zeze vivent dans un des quartiers les plus eloignes de la Zona Norte, Anchieta, au sein de l'immense favela de Nilopolis, jadis tres dangereuse. Maintenant, elle est mieux etablie, avec la plupart des maisons recouvertes de carrelages ou peintes, et un tout petit peu d'espace entre elles ainsi que quelques ruelles, nombre des anciens residents ayant ete deplaces dans des HLM, et grace a une economie qui s'est stabilisee au cours des 25 dernieres annees. 

Au sud ouest, derriere la chaine montagneuse qui contient le Pico da Tijuca et avant le littoral de Barra da Tijuca, un immense chantier prepare le village olympique pour les jeux de 2016. En chemin, nous passons ici et la des enormes structures de beton qui soutiendront une voie expresse directe depuis l'aeroport international. Mais ces structures eparses semblent abandonnees et on ne voit que tres peu d'endroits ou des equipes travaillent. Le trajet faisant une trentaine de kilometres, je me demande comment le Bresil fera pour terminer ce chantier en 18 mois.

De fait, comme indique par les statistiques ci-dessus et dans mes precedent recits, le Bresil est dans une phase tres difficile. Marcos, un ami de longue date avec un PhD du MIT et qui a occupe des postes de tres hauts grades, dit que les coupures de fonds dans les services publiques ont commence peu apres l'arrivee au pouvoir de l'ex President Lula. Comme mentionne par Sergio au sujet des coupures dans la Faculte Federale de Medecine, l'ensemble des finances de l'education nationale a fait l'objet de coupures portant des implications dramatiques. Si, a l'entree au pouvoir de Lula, les instituteurs etaient des personnes respectees, ils ont degringole dans la pyramide sociale. En soi, ce n'est pas tres different des USA ou, a l'epoque ou j'etais instit a Cambridge, un bordel sans nom reignait dans les classes, face auquel le prof n'avait aucune autorite. Mais le probleme est apparemment bien pire au Bresil car les fonds retires a la fonction publique ont ete indirectement detournes par les politiques, Lula compris. De plus, il est dit que la President Dilma et nombre de ses conseillers sont incapables d'interpreter les signes d'une catastrophe imminente.

Et plus je me suis promene a proximite des favelas de la Zona Norte, plus je me suis rendu compte que j'avais precedemment largement sous estime les conditions epouvantables dans lesquelles vivent plusieurs millions de cariocas. Quelle que soit la gentillesse des gens, sans un tres bon exemple d'organisation sociale a l'ecole, il n'y a aucun espoir pour les enfants qui grandissent dans cette misere.

Partout on croise des jeunes femmes tres minces, souvent jolies, qui du haut de leur seize ou dis-sept ans portent un nouveau ne dans leurs bras. Leur minceur n'est pas deliberee, mais reflete une alimentation carante qui affecte inevitablement leur nourisson. Dans un bus passant parmis les pires quartiers de la ville, un bebe n'arretait pas de pleurer. Quand sa maman descendit du bus au bout d'une demi heure, quatre autres femmes commenterent immediatement la tristesse de cet etat des choses: de toute evidence disaient-elles, l'enfant etait affamme. Mais sa mere n'avait pas l'education necessaire pour s'en rendre compte, pas plus qu'elle ne semblait avoir elle-meme de ressources pour l'alimenter, au vu de ses trop petits seins.

Malgre toutes ces difficultes et ce semblant de rechute dans un status du tiers-monde, les cariocas de la classe moyenne, tels que Marcos, peuvent jouir d'une qualite de vie que seule offre la nature exceptionelle de Rio. L'appreciation de ses talents lui permet de gagner suffisamment pour une excellente qualite de vie en ne travaillant qu'une trentaine d'heures par semaine, car il a choisi de se concentrer sur son bien-etre personnel. Encadre de plusieurs "personal trainers", il mesure soigneusement son alimentation et la composition de ses muscles, qu'il applique desormais a l'exploration de quelques des sentiers dans la foret magique de Rio, qui trone comme le Christ au dessus de la jungle de beton et la misere. Combien de temps pourra durer ce contraste sans qu'implose la societe?