INCREASED STATE PRESENCE THROUGH THE UNIDADE DE POLÍCIA PACIFICADORA IN SANTA MARTA, RIO DE JANEIRO: THE CREATION OF THE CITY’S THEME PARK AND RESULTING SOCIAL ISSUES

Abstract

Rio will host both the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games and city officials have started a determined plan to regain control of Rio’s slums, also known as favelas, from the drug gangs who have ruled the slums for years. Some streets of the slums are now filled with “Police Pacification Units” (UPP) who patrol the streets. The urban poor and urban violence are increasing concerns in Latin America, and this research provides insights into Brazil’s attempts to address these concerns. This research sheds light on the effects of the UPP and current municipal programs on favela residents in Rio de Janeiro’s first pacified favela, Santa Marta. Through the control of the UPP, state actors and non-state actors are able to use Santa Marta as a type of laboratory to test social projects that bring about positive but also potentially negative impacts on the local community.