ABSTRACT
This chapter analyzes the relationship between these sports mega-events and the 2013 Brazilian protests, and highlights some of the urban projects that are most deeply affecting the local population, specially the most socially vulnerable groups. After decades of high inflation, a scandalous presidential impeachment in 1992 and the implementation of neo-liberal policies following global tendencies of privatization of public spaces and state enterprises, the turn of the century brought about a new phase for Brazil. In the case of Rio de Janeiro, projects of urban renewal have been following the very specific path of beautifying the city for the purpose of several mega-events to take place in the near future, most notably the FIFA World Cup (2014) and the Olympic Summer Games (2016). In order to illustrate some socio-spatial issues that emerged from the mega-event related urban developments which caused Rio's 2013 street massive protests, we have selected two emblematic case studies: the "Marvelous Port" and the "Olympic Park" projects.
