PRICES OF APARTMENTS IN RIO DE JANEIRO (DECEMBER 2010)

AVERAGE PRICES BY DISTRICT:

COPACABANA:

1 BEDROOM APART: R 1600

2 BEDROOM APART: R2600

3 BEDROOM APART: R3000

IPANEMA:

1 BEDROOM APART: R 1700

2 BEDROOM APART: R3450

3 BEDROOM APART: R6990

LEBLON:

1 BEDROOM APART: R 3230

2 BEDROOM APART: R4480

3 BEDROOM APART: R7325

CENTRO:

1 BEDROOM APART: R 600

2 BEDROOM APART: R800

3 BEDROOM APART: R1500

FRENCH COUPLE BUSTED WITH "MACONHA"

FRENCHIES ARRESTED BY POLICE OFFICERS AT Chapéu-Mangueira FAVELA
by Dan RJ

A year ago the Mayor of Rio had a great idea: set up police stations in the favelas. They are called UPPs (Police Pacifying Units in the Portuguese acronym). Since then all the favelas on the border with Copacabana are relatively peaceful. Before the UPPs were established, it was frequent to hear shots fired by automatic weapons, and the noise of fireworks being set off . There were two reasons for the fireworks to be exploded : 1) to warn the trafiickers that the police were to enter the favela 2) to alert buyers that the traffickers were selling maconha, cocaine or crack. One of the most troblesome favelas was that of Chapeu-Mangueira, near Princesa Isabel Avenue in the district known as Leme, on the northern side of Copacabana. On January 17, 2011, EXTRA, a local newspaper,informed that the cops from the UPP at Chapeu-Mangueira, arrested a French couple, identified as Rolse Antony Fransos, (34 years old )and Maria Cristalli Marcadon, (23). They were living at the Favela , and after searching their home, the cops found that they had 400 grams of "maconha" (marijuana, cannabis sativa) hidden in the fridge.

To make matters worse, Rolse had a great idea and offered the officers a payment of R$250 in order to be left free. Both were taken to the 13th Police Station at Ipanema and jailed accused of drug trafficking. They will go on trial in a few months.

RIO´S ECONOMY IS BOOMING AS URBAN VIOLENCE DECLINES

BY DANRJ:

According to "O Globo" , a local newspaper, the industrial production in the State of Rio de Janeiro increased 5,5% in November, while the national average went down 0.1%. This is just one sign of recovery for the Rio economy, that had been lagging behind for decades compared to the rest of Brazil. After being chosen to host the 2016 Olympics de 2016 and the final of the 2014 Fifa World Cup, Rio has become the center of global attention. There has also been a drastic reduction in urban violence urbana and a more optimistic atmosphere for business. For example in October 2010 there were 317 murders in the city, while in the same month of 2008 there were 454 violent deaths. In a recent Global Metro Monitor report published by the London School of Economics and the Brookings Institution. of the 150 main cities in the world, Rio has seen the biggest leap in the rankings, from the 100th position to 10th.

RONALDINHO FINALLY SIGNS UP FOR FLAMENGO

by DANRJ

RONALDINHO GAUCHO promised Flamengo fans to give his best effort during the 2011 Brazilian championship. The famous midfielded was confirmed today as the new signing for Rio´s most popular football club.
"I was well received by the Flamengo fans when I arrived in Rio de Janeiro . They can expect the best from me. I am glad to be back in Brazil and I am keen to play for Flamengo, " said the player in the Flamengo website.
Ronaldinho´s contract is until 2014, and also he wants to recover form and play in the 2014 World Cup. Ronaldinho always said that he wanted to live in Rio, where he has beachfront apartment in the exclusive Barra da Tijuca neighborhood,where he likes to play "foot-volley". Meanwhile, in the southern city of Porto Alegre, the fans of Gremio, (Ronaldinho´s first club in Brazil), have attacked his brother´s house with stones and have published threats in several websites. The fans were expecting Ronaldinho to return to Gremio, but after his decision to play for Flamengo, have accused the player of being "a mercenary" and a "sellout".
Ronaldinho Gaucho, was fundamental during the 2002 World Cup in Korea, when Brazil won the trophy for the fifth time. He was elected Best Player of the World by Fifa in 2004 and 2005.

RECONSTRUCTION OF MARACANA STADIUM MAY TAKE LONGER

The cost of remodelling Rio´s Maracana Stadium may cost up to 1 billion Brazilian Reals, and also will take longer than expected. A local press article stated that the Consórcio Maracanã Rio 2014, the company in charge of the project has discovered that more parts of the original structure of the stadium, that was built in 1950, are deteriorating. Therefore the reconstruction will not be ready by December 2012 as was originally planned, but only six months later, in time for the Confederations Cup in 2013.
At present the cost of the project is estimated at R$712 million. A local expert called João Luiz Casagrande, said that the original metallic and concrete structures were planned to last 50 years, but Maracana Stadium has been in use for 60 years.

BOPE SOLDIER MURDERED IN RIO DE JANEIRO

BY DAN RJ:

On December 29, 2010, a member of BOPE (aka Tropa de Elite , Rio´s elite police special forces) identified as Alessandro Costa Lopes was shot to death in a suburb on the northern area of the city. It is still not clear who or why killed Alessandro, but it was a big blow for the morale of this organization. The funeral was held on Monday 2nd of January. Even so, in its 30 years of existence, only 19 BOPE soldiers have been killed in action, while the numbers of drug traffickers killed by BOPE reaches thousands. During the New Year´s Eve weekend, apart from Alessandro, two other police officers, (but not members of BOPE) were murdered in Rio, one was shot to death as he arrived at his home, and another as he tried to stop men from stealing his car.

TROPA DE ELITE 2
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NEW YORKER FOUND DEAD IN RIO DE JANEIRO

A 24 year old american tourist, identified as Victor Vincent, was found dead in his apartment at Viveiros de Castro Street, Copacabana, on Wednesday morning (29).

According to police from the Homicide Division, Vincent may have been the victim of an overdose since they found stones that appear to be crack, empty beer bottles and sexual stimulants and condoms.

However, only an investigation by the Legal medical Institute (IML) ,that will be ready in one month, will reveal the cause of death.

The firemen were called after neighbors from the building reported a very bad smell in the apartment rented by Victor.According to the police, the american arrived in Brazil on December 20 and had rented the apartment for a short term. It seems that Victor died shortly after arriving in Rio de Janeiro. The apartment was located next to a famous nightclub called Cicciolina.

http://braziltravelcenter.wordpress.com/2010/12/30/update-american-dead-in-rio-de-janeiro-brazil-apartment/