Brazilians were surprised when the government announced that the country’s largest “favela” (slum) is located in the capital Brasilia, just 35 kilometers from the axis of power, and not in Rio de Janeiro or São Paulo, as it always was.
Favelas, a portrait of the inequality and misery of many Brazilian cities, are almost always linked to Rio de Janeiro by the violent police operations that leave many civilian casualties.
In a preliminary report of the 2022 census, the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) pointed out that Sol Nascente, a district with 32,081 houses, is now the largest favela in the South American country, surpassing the famous Rocinha (30,955) in Rio de Janeiro.
The list of Brazil’s five largest favelas is completed by Rio das Pedras, with 27,573 inhabitants in Rio de Janeiro; Beiru/Tancredo Neves in Salvador (20,210), and Heliópolis in São Paulo (20,016).
IBGE president Cimar Azevedo explained that the 2022 census considered any “precarious” settlements as a favela.
The news surprised even local leaders, such as regional administrator Cláudio Ferreira Domingues, a municipal intendant appointed by the federal district government.
“We were surprised. To say that Sol Nascente is the largest favela and has overtaken Rocinha is not to know Brasília.”
“We have basic sanitation and all public services,” Domingues said.
And in Brazil’s capital, poverty has historically been a more minor and less visible problem than in other cities, such as Rio and São Paulo, where the marginalized population is growing dramatically, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic.