Introduction: Welcome to Hell

Abstract

Rio de Janeiro’s hosting the 2016 Summer Olympic Games was to be the crowning achievement of three decades of democracy and economic development. Rio and Brazil would enter the first world, Rio’s favelas would be modernized, its violent drug gangs rooted out, its sports and transportation infrastructure enhanced, and the city and country would share its good fortunes on the world stage. Reality, however, impinged on what was to have been and played a cruel trick on Rio and Brazil. Olympics development magic doesn’t even work for developed cities.¹ It certainly wasn’t going to work for Rio. The depressing economic