Rio de Janeiro Residents Protest Olympics Projects

As the city of Rio de Janeiro prepares to host the 2016 Summer Olympics, residents there say many of the projects underway are violating their rights.

February 26, 2011, 9am PST | Nate Berg

The protests are coming most loudly from the city's slums, where many evictions are being forced.

"Slum leaders have filed a complaint with the Organization of American States, saying that local authorities are arbitrarily relocating them to build transit systems needed for the games.

The complaint, obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press, says nearly 300 families already have been removed from their homes because of the construction of two bus systems that will run across the city and are expected to improve Rio's clogged traffic during the Olympics and the 2014 World Cup."

Full Story:

Rio residents say Olympic projects violating rights

Published on Wednesday, February 23, 2011 in The Globe and Mail