These vibrant houses clustered together on a hillside seem enchanting from afar. Look but don’t go. This is Comunidade da Rocinha. With a population of over 150,000 pressed together in about 300 acres, this is the largest favela in South America. The English equivalent is urban slum. The shantytown was showing promise up until the 2016 Olympics. Stores were opening and property values were increasing. Recently, however, Rocinha has been consumed with violence. This photo was taken on the Passarela da Rocinha footbridge near the Rocinha Sports Complex.
