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Horto is a community of 621 families in the South Zone of Rio de Janeiro.[1] It is not officially recognized as a neighborhood. It is located in Jardim Botânico, near Gávea, and Lagoa.[1] The property is worth an estimated $3.29 billion.[1]
The community was first established in 1808 when King João VI invited the slaves and workers building the botanical garden to live on the property.[2][1] Employees of the garden along with their families and descendants have lived there ever since.[1] During the 2016 Rio Olympics residents of Horto were served with eviction notices; with the Garden claiming the land was needed for a research institute.[1] The residents felt they were being evicted due to being poor black people in a wealthy neighborhood; and no arrangements have been made for them to receive compensation or alternate housing.[1][2] Residents are planning to resist the evictions, much the way the residents of Vila Autódromo also resisted the destruction of their favela.[2]
- ^ a b c d e f g "Olympics 2016 came at a high price for Rio de Janeiro, an enchanting city of jarring inequality". Firstpost. 24 August 2016.
- ^ a b c Healy, Meg (18 September 2016). "While Rio de Janeiro Unwinds from the Olympics, This Community Gets Left in the Lurch". Paste Magazine. Retrieved 23 September 2016.