The Origins of Rio's Favelas and Early Activism The history of the favelas of Rio de Janeiro begins in the final years of the nineteenth century as Brazil transitioned from an empire to a republic As the nation continued to undergo dramatic political changes throughout the course of the twentieth century, the slums of its secondlargest city grew in size and number, in turn experiencing Rocinha, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (0,000 people) Rocinha is the largest favela in Brazil While most locals have electricity and running water, the larger issue is sanitation The average monthly income is $240 Makoko, Lagos (40,000 – 300,000 people) Makoko is an area of six collective slum villages Four of these villages are floating onIn November 10, there was a major security crisis in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro and some of its neighboring cities The city's criminal drug trafficking factions initiated a series of attacks in response to the government placing permanent police forces into ...