![Inequality in Sao Paulo, Brazil between the favela of Paraisopolis and the apartment buildings of Morumbi.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/7110bd9a9c83d97ed90b4758be565c85/272d08f2-5f56-47f0-b2bb-a569ebba19b7_rw_1920.jpg?h=3448b97685a2f6a35f903e1e3e2428e0)
The "most famous photo" of inequality in Brazil: Paraisopolis, São Paulo.
![slums and hotels at sunset, Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro Brazil.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/7110bd9a9c83d97ed90b4758be565c85/dc7142e9-3301-447f-9b52-59b0e2496092_rw_1920.jpg?h=b41fd7c77539ecd2ac7c9c13428c1b68)
The favela of Cantagalo overlooks some of the highest price real estate in Brazil, in Rio de Janeiro's famous south zone.
![Reflection of a favela in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/7110bd9a9c83d97ed90b4758be565c85/513688ed-6a5c-4983-b475-9319a2fecfe4_rw_1920.jpg?h=cabc3c61e4ec7a1426ee20dcb3a95035)
This office building and hotel complex reflects the Morro de Providencia favela in Rio de Janeiro.
![Favelas in Sao Paulo, Brazil.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/7110bd9a9c83d97ed90b4758be565c85/f702b95c-d697-4d91-82e0-833240e299c7_rw_1920.jpg?h=62729212d6cae12df9728875a7ab4ebf)
Favela houses glow orange in the sun during a break in the clouds over São Paulo.
![Yacht club next to a favela, Niteroi, Brazil.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/7110bd9a9c83d97ed90b4758be565c85/cd6c0949-3102-4519-9da8-302aaa8f5b2c_rw_1920.jpg?h=a31bd7e557970629d373748e30b51ee0)
The Jurujuba Yacht Club offers accommodation and berthing slips for sailors in its strategic location in Guanabara Bay. Next to it, across a narrow fence, sits a traditional fishing colony.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/7110bd9a9c83d97ed90b4758be565c85/aab996cc-164e-4b0f-bf6e-efe69871d433_rw_1920.jpg?h=c38dad7f9c7d2455d9c9bc01eec69d2e)
A rainstorm in Manaus moves over the boundary between the Amazon rainforest and the city.
![Inequality in Santos, Guaruja, Brazil.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/7110bd9a9c83d97ed90b4758be565c85/8f3e77e4-74f2-42e5-86ca-83fc33ac303d_rw_1920.jpg?h=0179a859a62073677f5e6e8cf9587ed0)
Separation in Guarujá, in São Paulo state.
![drone picture of rich and poor in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/7110bd9a9c83d97ed90b4758be565c85/6051c31a-2992-4034-86c9-337da3016481_rw_1920.jpg?h=5dd28811fd4c477971b0ee62c735b3fb)
Belo Horizonte is famous for its "beautiful horizon", due to the many rolling hills surrounding this mining town.
![Fishing village next to skyscrapers, Salvador, Brazi.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/7110bd9a9c83d97ed90b4758be565c85/1a001ca4-ce9d-4b54-ac93-0326a1045843_rw_1920.jpg?h=f78e35c4ceccf017ad2c04d710b15f43)
A traditional fishing colony sits underneath skyscrapers in Salvador, on Brazil's northeast coast.
![Rocinha favela, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/7110bd9a9c83d97ed90b4758be565c85/8a5ca810-58f4-44e6-9821-612d54a7cc00_rw_1920.jpg?h=b9f981be9206c84186f2b2738f1cebae)
Rocinha, perhaps Latin America's most famous favela, sits on a steep mountainside with Rio's famous south zone in the background.
![Inequality in Sao paulo, Brazil.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/7110bd9a9c83d97ed90b4758be565c85/81a5b0a6-58e3-40a9-92c9-b827c4f3f2f6_rw_1920.jpg?h=c02cd435ba58f1e119f214f4403453ba)
São Paulo, Brazil.
![Inequality in Sao Paulo, Brazil.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/7110bd9a9c83d97ed90b4758be565c85/fa6b0214-b1a8-4ee0-864f-21bef71ce3e1_rw_1920.jpg?h=d41977d6d0c8dce6ad7bd0357d60a2c5)
Morumbi - the wealthy area next to Paraisopolis, São Paulo.
![Inequality in Sao Paulo, Brazil.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/7110bd9a9c83d97ed90b4758be565c85/e3acd5e2-faad-41c7-b46b-bd3b7c9afce7_rw_1920.jpg?h=158077ab10cfc6295d5184c24ff2bc4a)
Three iconic apartment buildings at the center of Brazilian inequality, made famous by Tuca Vieira.
![Sunset over Belo Horizonte, Brazil.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/7110bd9a9c83d97ed90b4758be565c85/e275bb38-3ac6-4e28-bf4e-e170804ba86e_rw_1920.jpg?h=87d462715dc85e4e24a4872d5031b599)
Sunset over the hills surrounding Belo Horizonte.
![Sheraton hotel and favela, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/7110bd9a9c83d97ed90b4758be565c85/f1f635fa-0d09-48d7-a479-38c5ff68a0b7_rw_1920.jpg?h=4b9cb31878cb0189bd8af6890c70aa24)
Morro de Vidigal is a historic favela which encircles the luxury Sheraton Resort hotel like a set of pincers. On the opposite side of this mountain is the huge favela of Rocinha.
![Inequality in Salvador, Brazil.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/7110bd9a9c83d97ed90b4758be565c85/2ac8fb42-aa2e-4388-b201-a9fea2465b24_rw_1920.jpg?h=96c4955e7189950375e37bc1d6e59616)
Salvador, Brazil.
![Gated estate in Santos, Brazil.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/7110bd9a9c83d97ed90b4758be565c85/515f2469-c523-4cc5-b610-b9cc3561885a_rw_1920.jpg?h=433d8a5fa0cbcb59c57ccb0585f867e0)
Santos, Brazil.
![Leme Beach, Rio de Janeiro Brazil.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/7110bd9a9c83d97ed90b4758be565c85/5b755e38-66c8-4117-b505-e0352c7cdf1f_rw_1920.jpg?h=0fa4abc00fbeefdd1d214f8636d70f6b)
Leme Beach is a lively mix of favela and affluence, that would probably not work in any other city in the world. Here, it's normal - and by and large, people get along.
![Dense floating favelas near Sao Paulo, Brazil.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/7110bd9a9c83d97ed90b4758be565c85/fd176a7d-fc93-498a-9467-6cd0c172bfa8_rw_1920.jpg?h=5e192f08fb275179ea2365248d77f459)
The largest port in Latin America, Santos, is surrounded by informal homes on stilts extending out over the water called palafitas.
![Sunlight shines onto a favela, Sao Paulo Brazil.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/7110bd9a9c83d97ed90b4758be565c85/7e4d6a50-32dd-4555-8d89-0feea5986871_rw_1920.jpg?h=b3e6c427a54750649f2bee4958fad934)
São Paulo.
![Inequality in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/7110bd9a9c83d97ed90b4758be565c85/b783fea6-f190-404f-bf1b-4ad938d25647_rw_1920.jpg?h=4205caadcfd1ac5ea158e9a1ba8191ab)
Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro.
![Olympic Park in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/7110bd9a9c83d97ed90b4758be565c85/c39fc647-5691-4a58-bb67-f9aacb011c7d_rw_1920.jpg?h=b6e6b50c6463711253efb46fdf3a269e)
Vila Autódromo, at the site of the 2016 Rio Olympics.
![Vila Autodromo in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/7110bd9a9c83d97ed90b4758be565c85/0c9bb5cd-822e-45f4-80bf-ef5305e2450f_rw_1920.jpg?h=730f139035a21bec02c8e08e1c7a7fe0)
Vila Autódromo has 20 houses today, down from several thousands inhabitants in the early 2000s.
![Inequality in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/7110bd9a9c83d97ed90b4758be565c85/2a652bfa-2c7b-4b27-9450-1448fd3f7678_rw_1920.jpg?h=8f82787f0fdae26073597a070b45ddf4)
Apartment buildings constructed for the 2016 Olympics sit colorfully alongside the Lagoa de Tijuca, opposite a sprawling favela.
![Inequality in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/7110bd9a9c83d97ed90b4758be565c85/24ff7ee8-20f8-494f-beef-6d9787bd1b8d_rw_1920.jpg?h=65dd4b601efb913fc6cfe00490f08061)
Accusations of corruption and nepotism have dogged Rio developers for years, and the 2014 World Cup 2016 Olympics were at the top of the list for land grab and power plays. Multiple prominent politicians have been jailed or accused of corruption in the past few years, including the Mayor in December 2020.
![Arpoador, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/7110bd9a9c83d97ed90b4758be565c85/bca71f40-bdae-455f-b6b9-cfedba00b3f3_rw_1920.jpg?h=03c85d441c91799eb170035de7c364a3)
Copacabana beach at sunset is stunningly beautiful.
![Inequality in Salvador, Brazil.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/7110bd9a9c83d97ed90b4758be565c85/7f6eccb7-c0cd-4a20-93b5-b66805763aed_rw_1920.jpg?h=ae47c69e98e742c50285df5e9cde1511)
Vast differences in the housing stock exist in Salvador, Brazil.
![Recylcler in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/7110bd9a9c83d97ed90b4758be565c85/bf137531-b3b0-4cb1-b48a-5d0bee6c7629_rw_1920.jpg?h=2c754b1cc859677b96dc480b9317832f)
An informal recycler carrying aluminum cans on Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro.
![A quilomobo next to a mountain, Rio de Janeiro Brazil.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/7110bd9a9c83d97ed90b4758be565c85/d02686c6-0a94-4f05-9af9-adf5d8d7445c_rw_1920.jpg?h=beb1ea1b5d8c32bd4caa0b6d02fcff80)
A quilombo, or autonomous community of free slaves, still exists amongst the opulence of the Lagoa neighborhood in Rio's south zone.
The word means “an autonomous community of fugitive slaves” in the Brazilian context, and is an important part of Afro-Brazilian history.
The first quilombos emerged in the context of expansion of the colonial economic activity of sugar cane in Northeast Brazil, with resistance as a basic characteristic. Most can be found today in Bahia and Maranhão states, although the most famous was called Quilombo dos Palmares, and was located in present-day Alagoas. It was here that capoeira was said to have been first arisen, and the iconography of this powerful and large “Free-slave community” became a symbol of African resistance.
In Rio there are very few quilombos, however this one (the three buildings in the center of the image) is called Quilombo Sacopã and is located right in the middle of one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in Rio (Lagoa). Surrounded by mansions and luxury high-rise buildings, several families continue to live here and resist efforts to buy them out (there is a great interview with José Luiz Pinto, who can trace his lineage back 6 generations, here.
Thanks to the Brazilian Constitution, families living in quilombos are guaranteed the title to that land, meaning that for now, the 32 residents of Quilombo Sacopã and others are secure. There is a growing sense that Brazil is beginning to deal with its history as part of the Atlantic slave trade, examples being a new slave trade museum under construction in Rio and a Black Awareness Day holiday signed into law in 2011. Many feel, however, that it is well past the time for the country to fully account for being the number one destination for African slaves in the Americas, numbering well over 5 million (2 million were sent to the port of Rio alone) Moreover, Brazil’s ethnic geography is vast and while progress is happening in some areas of racial justice, others are notably sliding backwards (treatment of indigenous people in the Amazon, for example).
![A quilomobo next to a mountain, Rio de Janeiro Brazil.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/7110bd9a9c83d97ed90b4758be565c85/0ec07915-4fc4-41e2-8ad7-d6573bbf3b57_rw_1920.jpg?h=c8ef1c1e4faca079ca80065a44f5fed7)
The Sacopá and Peixoto neighborhoods, near Copacabana Beach.
![Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/7110bd9a9c83d97ed90b4758be565c85/45171462-c522-4bea-b313-8407439f2d06_rw_1920.jpg?h=1d0f12fcd846db73f91525cf69d4db85)
The Sacopá Quilombo is to the right in the photo (blue tarps).
![The favela do moinho, the last favela in downtown Sao Paulo Brazil.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/7110bd9a9c83d97ed90b4758be565c85/4ef5fade-9cd7-4378-81b0-53f2d680f1bb_rw_1920.jpg?h=bf77d61a858eef31e79875c4344ea793)
The Moinho favela is the last favela inside the central district in São Paulo. It sits sandwiched between two train tracks.
![Golf course and favela, Rio de Janeiro Brazil.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/7110bd9a9c83d97ed90b4758be565c85/5715ae0e-fe21-4010-a38a-bf03ee6cf648_rw_1920.jpg?h=a3b3a6f8af2ce9d12c3b2a4de33fe3e4)
Itanhangá Golf Estate, Rio de Janeiro.
![Downtown Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/7110bd9a9c83d97ed90b4758be565c85/9c0b8b85-d671-4f7e-8e9a-d19ae0d19fab_rw_1920.jpg?h=05632cd221f62c7e75bfdbe0a8ac5174)
Lapa, Rio de Janeiro.
![Inequality in Salvador, Brazil.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/7110bd9a9c83d97ed90b4758be565c85/3f4b2c74-76d8-4db3-800a-8656e540732a_rw_1920.jpg?h=b27f58e9b532ba85d5088da0b0e30aea)
Salvador, Bahia.
![Car dealership next to a favela, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/7110bd9a9c83d97ed90b4758be565c85/95a5f6e8-60ae-4619-b5f3-f48a19ea27ed_rw_1920.jpg?h=23bf8dea9e3c63c95e33fac0ec0a436b)
A Porsche dealership next to a favela, Belo Horizonte.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/7110bd9a9c83d97ed90b4758be565c85/eb937992-7e7e-421a-831f-452ef7a0933f_rw_1920.jpg?h=669eab974a1d8126bbc6347759cef5ae)
The Port of Santos, the largest in Latin America.
![Inequality in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/7110bd9a9c83d97ed90b4758be565c85/a38ba66a-dd37-48e9-b335-dde7f83af33b_rw_1920.jpg?h=9df9b71ecc6cbeecb0a67650e8cac57f)
The famous Santa Marta favela, Rio de Janeiro.