View from the Rio favelas: `We hit rock bottom, financially and socially` | Michel Silva
(The Guardian Brazil)

In his diary item one year on from the Olympics, Michel Silva says that only long-term public policies will improve health, education and security in Rio Leia este artigo na lingua originalWe need to talk about Rio de Janeiro. In my first article for the Guardian in August 2015 , I said we were not ready for another mega event. I had some criticism from friends, who said such words were arrogant. But I think sometimes it hurts to see the sad reality of life in Rio. We hit rock bottom, both financially and socially.Cariocas - natives of Rio - are suffering because of the lack of government planning and the allegations of corruption that plague national politics. The former governor of Rio de Janeiro state, Sérgio Cabral, was arrested three months after the Olympics for commanding a criminal organisation that took 224m reais (£54m) in bribes. He has been sentenced to more than 14 years in prison as a result of investigations conducted by the Lava Jato taskforce. Related: View from the favelas: `The situation of instability haunts the lives of thousands` | Michel Silva Related: Rio Olympics: view from the favelas - `Overpriced public works leave a bitter taste` | Michel Silva Continue reading...