Italian tourist killed in favela in Brazil's Rio de Janeiro

[webfact]

Italian tourist killed in favela in Brazil's Rio de Janeiro 

 

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — An Italian tourist was killed Thursday in a shantytown near the center of Rio de Janeiro in an area fought over by rival drug trafficking gangs, police said.

 

Authorities identified the dead man as Roberto Bardella and said another Italian tourist, Rino Polato, was found unharmed at an entrance to the Morro dos Prazeres favela early in the day.

 

The men were touring South America on motorcycles that were found in the favela, officials said. Investigators believe the Italians got lost in the favela.

 

The city's pacification effort has a police station in the slum, but the program has been deeply affected by budget cuts amid a financial crisis for the Rio de Janeiro state government.

 

Police have been attacked in the favela several times in recent years.

 

-- © Associated Press 2016-12-09

[craigt3365]

We took a taxi tour of Rio and the surrounding areas one day.  The taxi driver took us to about 1km from the entrance to this favela.  He wouldn't go any further even though we offered more money.  No way.  So, we saw it at a (safe) distance.

 

A friend was renting an apartment with the back facing the favela.  The window was bulletproof glass and you could see marks where bullets had hit.

 

Scary area.

[mcfish]

And expats are frightened of Thailand, compared to Brazil it's Disneyland!

Sent from my SC-01D using Tapatalk

[craigt3365]

13 minutes ago, mcfish said:

And expats are frightened of Thailand, compared to Brazil it's Disneyland!

Sent from my SC-01D using Tapatalk
 

 

We rented an apartment right on Copacabana beach.  There were 3 of us, and we always traveled together.  One day, we were headed out to dinner and saw a bunch of police and army on the street next to us.  I guess a group of robbers had gone into the local restaurant and robbed the dinners of everything they had.  Unreal.

 

We hired the same driver to take us a bit out of town one day.  He agreed, but only if he could make it back by dark as there were quite a few bandits on the roads after dark. 

 

Yes, Thailand is Disneyland compared to Rio.

[zd1]

Been to Rio 3 times and loved it, its a beautiful city but having said that it is probably the most dangerous place I've ever been and I've been to quite a few places. I have been to a few favelas in Rio and can confirm that they are pretty dangerous, I met a girl on Copacabana beach and went back to her place for a few days it was a place called Belleforte Roso a favela in the suburbs of Rio, I didn't know it at the time but speaking to a Brazilian friend from Rio in London she told me that Brazilians themselves wouldn't go there.

I can't speak much portugese but a friend had told me to dress down and if in a dodgy situation pretend that your deaf and dumb and you should be alright.

The thing about Brazil is it is so multi cultural just about any race could be a Brazilian so you can just blend in to a degree unlike Thailand where you will always be spotted as a falang, negro or indian.

[AloisAmrein]

I have been many times to Brazil and I know the country quite well, but not all states. I was living in Minas Gerais for almost a year. I speak fluently Portuguese. I never had any accident or robbery or something similar. The big cities like Rio and Sao Paulo are dangerous in some areas, but in the small towns and in the countryside live is peaceful.

[Muzarella]

2 hours ago, zd1 said:

Been to Rio 3 times and loved it, its a beautiful city but having said that it is probably the most dangerous place I've ever been and I've been to quite a few places. I have been to a few favelas in Rio and can confirm that they are pretty dangerous, I met a girl on Copacabana beach and went back to her place for a few days it was a place called Belleforte Roso a favela in the suburbs of Rio, I didn't know it at the time but speaking to a Brazilian friend from Rio in London she told me that Brazilians themselves wouldn't go there.

I can't speak much portugese but a friend had told me to dress down and if in a dodgy situation pretend that your deaf and dumb and you should be alright.

The thing about Brazil is it is so multi cultural just about any race could be a Brazilian so you can just blend in to a degree unlike Thailand where you will always be spotted as a falang, negro or indian.

 

In any country...if you are on the wrong place at the wrong time.... you will get in trouble..or killed. Traveling in new countries without local advice is insane. Thailand is not an exception for sure.

[Mitker]

1 hour ago, AloisAmrein said:

I have been many times to Brazil and I know the country quite well, but not all states. I was living in Minas Gerais for almost a year. I speak fluently Portuguese. I never had any accident or robbery or something similar. The big cities like Rio and Sao Paulo are dangerous in some areas, but in the small towns and in the countryside live is peaceful.

I do agree totally. But I would say that most of a city like Rio can turn dangerous at certain hours

I had small accidents (with no serious consequences; those being good warnings) while staying long periods too.

An amazing country (that one well deserves the adjective) but, remain on your guard.

[copa8]

4 hours ago, zd1 said:

The thing about Brazil is it is so multi cultural just about any race could be a Brazilian so you can just blend in to a degree unlike Thailand where you will always be spotted as a falang, negro or indian.

 

I doubt an East Asian could blend in in Brazil as easily as a farang, negro or Indian, tho.

[free123]

8 hours ago, zd1 said:

Been to Rio 3 times and loved it, its a beautiful city but having said that it is probably the most dangerous place I've ever been and I've been to quite a few places. I have been to a few favelas in Rio and can confirm that they are pretty dangerous, I met a girl on Copacabana beach and went back to her place for a few days it was a place called Belleforte Roso a favela in the suburbs of Rio, I didn't know it at the time but speaking to a Brazilian friend from Rio in London she told me that Brazilians themselves wouldn't go there.

I can't speak much portugese but a friend had told me to dress down and if in a dodgy situation pretend that your deaf and dumb and you should be alright.

The thing about Brazil is it is so multi cultural just about any race could be a Brazilian so you can just blend in to a degree unlike Thailand where you will always be spotted as a falang, negro or indian.

dont pee in ur pants...get a decent gun and dont hesitate to use it period...

[The manic]

16 hours ago, mcfish said:

And expats are frightened of Thailand, compared to Brazil it's Disneyland!

Sent from my SC-01D using Tapatalk
 

 

no we are NOT frightened of Thailand.  Not frightened in Thailand. Maybe you are. Speak for yourself. Have you ever been here? Most of the views you espouse are delusional. utterly out of touch with reality.

[rubyjuan]

Ive been to Rio...you can keep Rio!  The most aggressive place I've ever been.  Ive lived, worked and travelled around this world and despite the nice beaches, great food, and beautiful women, this place is a toilet!

[craigt3365]

2 minutes ago, rubyjuan said:

Ive been to Rio...you can keep Rio!  The most aggressive place I've ever been.  Ive lived, worked and travelled around this world and despite the nice beaches, great food, and beautiful women, this place is a toilet!

After reading reports about the water quality there, yes, the sea is a toilet.  The beach looks great sitting on it or walking on the beautiful sidewalk.  Go a few blocks in and things change dramatically.

[bendejo]

Well, at least the Italians didn't piss behind a gas station, they really take offense at that down there. 

 

Got into Rio bus station after dark, got a cab, and the driver didn't stop at the red lights, said if he stopped for the light we'd probably get robbed.

But I gotta say, I've spent a lot of time there and loved it. 

 

 

[zd1]

On ‎09‎/‎12‎/‎2016 at 2:37 PM, copa8 said:

 

I doubt an East Asian could blend in in Brazil as easily as a farang, negro or Indian, tho.

Sao Paulo has a huge east Asain presence.

[zd1]

On ‎09‎/‎12‎/‎2016 at 6:33 PM, free123 said:

dont pee in ur pants...get a decent gun and dont hesitate to use it period...

What a ridiculous idiotic thing to say you are obviously lacking any sort of intelligence if a gun is your only solution to any problem.

I don't pee in my pants when in a dangerous situation I keep a cool head and think about how to get out of it.

I don't need a gun in fact having a gun you are far more likely to get shot as you would be seen and taken as an aggressor and the fact that you would be one against many your chances of survival are somewhat diminished.

So if ever you are in a favela in Brazil and decide to start a gun fight good luck you won't last 2 minutes idiot.

[zd1]

22 hours ago, bendejo said:

Well, at least the Italians didn't piss behind a gas station, they really take offense at that down there. 

 

Got into Rio bus station after dark, got a cab, and the driver didn't stop at the red lights, said if he stopped for the light we'd probably get robbed.

But I gotta say, I've spent a lot of time there and loved it. 

 

 

Common practice in big Brazilian cities due to the large amount of car jackings