Lukasz Czeszumski

"THE STREETGAME" - RIO DE JANEIRO GANGS

It's said that Rio de Janeiro is one of the most beautiful cities of the world. It's also one of the most dangerous. Crime statistics are incredible - about 20 killed people on each day, 11 thousand paid killers. And millions of dollars from cocaine and other illegal drugs.

Favelas - poor neighborhoods, located mostly on the hills sorounding city center are home for them. Kids with big guns. Soldiers of "commandos" - Brazilian drug cartels, always fighting against government and each other. Playing game for power and money.

But here in Rio, spending a lot of time in favelas, talking with people, and gang's men, NGO-s, and others I understood, that nothing is simple in this world. Crime in Rio is about corrupt policeman, about government's death squads. About life in misery, where only one existing exit is... going to the criminal way of life. The sad truth is, that when you born in favela, you dont have any choice.

Rio de Janeiro was part of my project "THE WHITE TRAFFIC" - book that I'm currently writing.

FAVELA SANTA MARTA, VIEW ON THE COPACABANA NEIGHBORHOOD:

FAVELA:

PRAZERES - ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS FAVELAS IN RIO:

TITO, DIDI, CLOK - MEMBERS OF THE COMMANDO VERMELHO DRUG CARTEL, KILLED BY POLICEMAN:

FAMOUS COPACABANA BEACH: