Press Contact:

J. Coco Chang

718.783.2000 ext. 316

jcoco@witness.org

BRAZILIAN HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS GEAR UP TO SEND MESSAGE TO RIO+20 DELEGATES TO STOP FORCED EVICTIONS TIED TO MEGAEVENTS

According to local human rights groups, an estimated 170,000 people in 12 Brazilian cities are at risk, or have already been, forcibly evicted from their homes because of construction projects related to 2014 World Cup and 2016 Summer Olympics. Those targeted and most affected are the poor and underrepresented communities that have historically been excluded and marginalized in urban centers.

WITNESS partner, Articulação Nacional dos Comitês Populares da Copa (ANCOP) is organizing several events around the Rio+20 Conference to send a message that development that violates human rights is NOT development, and Brazilian government must commit to upholding the law and international human rights obligations by putting an end to forced evictions tied to megaevents.

These megaevents come in the wake of the New York Times report on the forced evictions but serious questions remain, as WITNESS reports.

Forced evictions violate Brazilian legislation at the municipal, state, and federal levels. The most common violations that have been documented by local human rights groups and international organizations like WITNESS and Amnesty International include:

• Lack of information, consultation and adequate notice.
• Demolition of homes and small shops before any definitive resettlement or compensation plans are made.
• Use of force, harassment and threats by public authorities.
• Inadequate resettlement of families, with some families being moved as far as 60 km away from the city, hindering access to jobs, healthcare, and other basic services.

The following activities are being organized by ANCOP and local human rights groups:

Release of National Report, “Megaevents and Human Rights Violations” (2nd edition)

Date: Monday, June 18th

Description: ANCOP releases the 2nd edition of its report, “Megaevents and Human Rights Violations” that spotlights the rise of forced evictions in Brazil as megaevents, like the World Cup and Olympic Games, gets nearer. The release of the report was launched with a panel discussion organized the morning of June 18th with the UN Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing, Raquel Rolnik; social movement leader Marcelo Edmundo of CMP; ANCOP's Thiago Hoshino; and others prior to the start of Rio+20.

Download the reports:

1st edition »

2nd edition »

Global Mobilization for Social and Environmental Justice

On the morning of June 20th, more than 3,000 people are expected to join a global protest at the community of Vila Autódromo, which has been fighting its own forced eviction for decades and now faces a new threat due to the government's plans for the 2016 Olympics. More info here.