Favela tours in Rio de Janeiro are a controversial subject. As Rio has been working to pacify many of the communities with the UPP (Police Pacification Units), tours have been on the rise as curious travellers leave the beach to explore another perspective of the city. With around 22 percent of Rio’s population living in the sweeping neighbourhoods locally termed ‘favelas’, they’re a reality that cannot, and should not, be ignored. Those who pioneered the first favela tours, such as Marcelo Armstrong, the man behind the Favela Tour to Rocinha and Vila Canoas, sought support for the initiative from the residents.

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