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Rio's Big Moment: A Photo Essay

By Carlos Coutinho, Thainã Medeiros, Stephen Kurczy

Inside the city's favelas during an Olympic year - and a recession.

This was supposed to be the year of Rio de Janeiro. The 2016 Olympics were meant to showcase a safer, modernizing city that could not only provide for its more than 6 million citizens, but also play host to a marvelous global party. Unfortunately, it hasn't turned out that way - Rio has been badly hit by Brazil's worst recession in 80 years, and violence is once again on the rise.

As a result, residents of Complexo do Alemão - one of Rios largest and poorest collections of...

Read this article on the Americas Quarterly website. | Subscribe to AQ.

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