The atmosphere of these streets changed during the largest health crisis in world history-the coronavirus pandemic-and all of the consequences that came along with it. Streets are covered with dust kicked up by passing trucks heading to the Port Region and the adjacent Avenida Brasil. Barren streets give way to the favela entrance, hot and heavy with humidity. To get to Complexo do Caju, you need a bit of focus, especially because you can’t get there without passing through the cemeteries where, since the beginning of the pandemic, those who pass by witness scenes that the general population had only seen on the screens of their televisions and cellphones.
This article is the latest contribution to our year-long reporting project, “ Rooting Anti-Racism in the Favelas: Deconstructing Social Narratives About Racism in Rio de Janeiro.” Follow our Rooting Anti-Racism in the Favelas series here.
