José Martins de Oliveira has been living in Rocinha for 47 years and is fighting for the rights of its residents. In 2012, the police invaded Rocinha and established a UPP. But peace is fragile
Monica is one of 40 Million Brazilians who has left poverty behind in the past ten years, thanks to governmental programs. She is part of the growing middle class, “classe C”, dreaming of a better future
At Copacabana beach you will probably find some of the most beautiful people of Rio if not of the world. So it is a perfect place to find out about the secret of “beleza”
He has always been devoted to Flamengo, but for Ribamar Pereira football has become an expensive game. The Maracanã has plastic seats and popcorn now, but fans like him have to stay outside
In Vila Autódromo, one of Rio de Janeiros smaller favelas, residents face expropriation ahead of the 2016 Olympics. Their feelings vary from hope to frustration
Many Brazilians criticise their government for hosting the World Cup and spending billions for new stadiums instead of investing in healthcare or the educational system. But you can also hear some anticipation on the streets of Rio – at least in front of foreign journalists’ microphones
In Rio de Janeiro, every hour is rush hour. The roads are always jammed. Alexandre Fernandes commutes on his bike, speeding down the streets between thousands of cars and buses. It makes his day better, he says, although people think that he is crazy
Altair Antunes Guimarães, the community leader in Vila Autódromo, struggles to avoid the third disappropriation of his life
Djalma Mathias dos Santos works on a garbage boat on Guanabara Bay. Currently the state of Rio runs three of them to clean the 412 square kilometers from its waste
The most famous cosmetic surgeon in the world is Brazilian. No wonder, according to the statistics, Brazilians are quite crazy about cosmetic operations. Ivo Pitanguy lives and works in Rio de Janeiro, his two long-established clinics are always very busy. He’s the “Michelangelo of the scalpel”