Reimagining the Geography of the Favelas: Pacification, Tourism, and Transformation in Complexo Do Alemão, Rio de Janeiro

This article examines the recent intersection of two forces, at times complementary and at times competing: pacification and favela tourism in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Rio's favelas have long been considered archetypal neighborhoods of poverty and crime. The city's new “pacification” project involves military and police occupation of targeted communities, to control drug cartel-related violence. Complexo do Alemão is a large cluster of 15 favelas in Rio's North Zone with a particularly violent history, officially “pacified” since 2010. Together, tourism and pacification are transforming Alemão at a rapid pace, both materially and discursively. This article involves a comprehensive look at the budding favela tourism industry in Complexo do Alemão, and incorporates results from 2013 field research there, including interviews with residents and guides. Favela tourism in Alemão has seen mixed success, and many companies are struggling; still, it brings unique benefits to the local population, such as protection, accountability, and a means of reclaiming occupied space. In addition, favela tourism is an integral tool to tackling the stigmatization of favela residents as talentless criminals, part of a larger trend that is reshaping the meaning of “favela” in the geographical imagination.