By André Aram Rocinha, in the south of Rio de Janeiro, is, according to official data, the largest of Brazil’s more than 12,000 favelas, or inner-city communities. It has a population of just over 72,

In Rio, where rainforest meets surf and glass balconies overlook stacked mosaics of tin and prayer, I learned that the state, the narcos, and the civilians breathe the same air while fighting different wars that end at dawn and begin again by night.

Illegal and unplanned settlements will grow in cities everywhere as urbanization accelerates. Digital technology can help residents connect to services they need. Finding your way through Rocinha in Rio de Janeiro is not easy. The buildings are densely and ...

Passinho or “little step” began with small groups performing at parties inside Rio’s favelas, but has since spread, helping to break the stigma of the communities usually known for violence and drug gangs. Illuminated by a motorcycle headlight ...

Rocinha has for years been one of Rio’s safest favelas. Its descent into internecine bloodshed is indicative of how much the city has unraveled. The Governor of Rio de Janeiro, Luiz Fernando Pezão, admitted that his administration could no longer cope ...

RIO DE JANEIRO — High on a hill in South America’s largest slum, Samantha Almeida startled at the latest volley of gunfire. It was close. Too close. She knew she had to get her girls moving. The shootout had woken them an hour before. Killings in ...

"I have the pleasure to inform you that Rocinha and Vidigal [a neighbouring shanty town] are under our control. There were no incidents and no shots were fired. We don't have any information on arrests or weapons seized," Alberto Pinheiro Neto, chief of ...

Rio de Janeiro police shot and killed a Spanish woman after she and other tourists allegedly drove through a blockade near the city’s largest shantytown, according to the city’s military police. Police confirmed the death in an email and said they are ...

Reporting from SAO PAULO, Brazil — Violence over the weekend in Rio de Janeiro that left at least 13 dead seeped into a new week when a man was killed Monday during a military police operation, continuing a cycle of gunfire and death that has sown anger ...