Fundraising Party Cancelled!
I think everybody in the world knows about the immense flooding that took place here in Rio de Janeiro in the beginning of April. A total of about 250 lives were lost and 95% of those lives were favela residents.
The most lives were lost in Niteroi in places like Morro do Bumba, where the community was build on a garbage dump. But the Favela of Prazeres in the area of Santa Teresa in Rio de Janeiro, also lost about 30 people.
There has been a lot of donations and organizations formed to aid those people who have been displaced from their homes. My friend DJ Tee Cardaci lives very close to the Favela Prazeres and has many contacts there. Tee has had the opportunity to visit me several times here in Rocinha and he is a great guy.
He somehow through his connections, was able to hook up with dj’s who had planned a fundraiser for Prazeres. The plan was the party to be on Thursday night 29 April. There would be dj’s Tee, Marlboro and Sany Pitbull. And entertainer B’Negao. The thought of this party was to raise money to help those families living in the community that lost their homes or needed help.
All the money was to go to people in need. The Dj's are the best in Brazil.
I was in Santa Marta on Thursday and some of the guys there were going to go to the party. I would have loved to go, but there is a problem. Rocinha and Prazeres are controlled by two different drug factions. Rocinha is controlled by the ADA (Amigos dos Amigos) and Prazeres the CV (Comando Vermelho). I would be risking my life by going there. Even though I am not involved in any way with the drug factions, the guys who control Prazeres might think that I am somehow a threat. Sad, but true. It would be nice if the gangs could leave residents out of their personal wars.
I still think that the party is a great idea to bring exposure to the suffering of those in the favelas. And to help people who otherwise would receive nothing.
So, after returning from Santa Marta, I went to the internet to my Facebook page and read “PRAZERES COM MUITO ORGULHO” which means Prazeres with much pride. So, I thinking, great this party is on and many people will benefit from this. I may be from another “rival” favela, but I have in my nature wanting to see people helped who need it no matter where they are from. About 40 minutes later I read, “Party is cancelled due to problems beyond our control”. So, I am thinking wtf???
Today I get back on the internet after my tour and read that BOPE (Rio’s type of SWAT team) went into the favela to shut down the party. They kidnapped the head drug lord there and demanded a ransom. The police knew that it was the drug lords party and that there would be a lot of money around, which is why they did this. So much for cops just “catching the bad guy”. The story goes is that Eduardo Paes the governor of Rio does not want to see this favela helped and would like too see it removed. So it is as if the governor does not want to see these people helped. Especially by outsiders which the majority who would have gone to this party would have been. Shame on the government for doing this. Yet the government does not want to help people who need it the most right now, why not allow outsiders to help?
If I get more information, I will report it.
