Inequality in Brazil

This past week, my mother came to Brazil and we traveled together to the northeastern state of Maranhao. Maranhao, while home to a spectacular national park, is not exactly a source of Brazilian pride. Its the second poorest state in the country (on a per person basis) and has been aptly described by The Economist as semi-feudal. Its mid-size capital city of Sao Luis has already recorded 140 homicides since the start of the year. Sao Luis’ historic center is a crumbling remnant of a once important colonial port. Its people are poor, its infrastructure is decaying, and its politics are dominated by a single family.

One of the most striking aspects about Brazil is its inequality. Some of the coastal neighborhoods in Sao Luis wouldn’t have seemed out of place in southern Florida. In other parts of the city, shantytowns crowded the horizon.

Unfortunately, this situation is common throughout the country:

[Rio Favela] Complexo de Alemao ranks lower than the African country of Gabon on the United Nations Human Development Index, a world survey of living standards that measures factors like access to education and health care. By comparison, the Development Index scores of upscale Rio neighborhoods like Gavea and Leblon are higher than Norway, the world’s top-ranked country.






Here are some pictures from the decaying historical center of Sao Luis. Its really a beautiful place in its own way.