Socialdemocrat and deputy from European Parliament, Britta Thomsen, was invited by ANF to see the other side of the Brazilian society, when she was in Rio last Friday. Seeing the poor conditions in the favelas, left a deep impression on her – and with many critical questions, she will confront the governor of Rio, Sergio Cabral, with, when she is going to meet him in 2 weeks
Friday, 15th of April the favelas in Rio de Janeiro had unofficial visit, from the European Parliament by Danish deputy Britta Thomsen. For a whole a day “Agencia de noticias das favelas” was with her, first for breakfast in the “Movimento Nacional de Direitos Humanos do RJ, and afterwards we took on a tour to 3 different favelas: Metrõ Mangueira, Mangueira and Jacararezinho .
- Britta Thomsen (to the right) in “Movimento Nacional de Direitos Humanos”
Britta Thomsen is member of the “Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament” and she is on a 3 weeks long trip to Brazil, travelling from Bela Horizonte, Sao Paulo, Salvador and the finally Brasilia, where she will travel around with the “Mercosur delegation”, this delegation’s remit covers relations with the four countries of Mercosur: Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.
Britta Thomsen first visited the Movements of Humans Rights in RJ, where she had breakfast with a number of representatives from different social projects in Rio de Janeiro, projects such as combat against child abuse, drug abuse, domestic violence, black movements and movements against racism. Britta Thomsen, who is declared feminist and fighter for human and women’s rights, approached the different organisations, and spoke about how big a problem human trafficking is becoming:
”We need to stand together and fight against human trafficking”, she said
Then she had a meeting with the coodinators of TRAM, which is a project that protects all kinds of trafficking of humans, human organs and prostitution.
Favelatour to Metrô-Mangueira and Jacarezinho
After this ANF took her along to see Metrô-Mangueira to see how a removed favela looks like, with all the destroyed houses, a little ghostcity. She spoke to the president of Metrô-Mangueira, about how the authorities are trying to push out the residents. How only the strongest have the will-power to stand against the municipality, when they are being asked to leave their homes.
After that ANF took her to Jacarezinho, to see a favela that really lacks infrastructure. Small houses falling apart and jobless and uneducated people in the streets. Smells and dirt everywhere. This made Britta Thomsen really disgusted and indignant to see that the state of Rio is not taking care of their residents.
In two weeks she is going to meet the governor Sergio Cabral, as part of official tour with the Mercosur-delegation, and she will confront him with the lack of social authorities in the favelas.
- Britta Thomsen saw how the polluted drainwater literally surrounds the small houses
“I really hope the Brazilian society will start to do something about the poverty’s bad-living-conditions, because this is disgraceful”
Britta Thomsen is going to publish an article in an European newspaper about her visit, when is returning to Europe.
