After the floods in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, the most vulnerable population still deals with the consequences of the tragedy

Brasil de Fato

The floods in Porto Alegre, the capital city of Rio Grande do Sul, revealed the serious consequences of political choices. The lack of urban planning and investment in adequate drainage systems contributed to the city’s vulnerability, causing one of the worst climatic tragedies in Brazilian history.

The neoliberal agenda the municipal and state governments adopted has shown itself to be a hygienist project, in which state policies address mainly the upper and middle classes, while the poorest are left to fend for themselves. It’s common to see mountains of garbage that haven’t yet been removed from the streets, places where there are still waterlogged and, above all, a population that, in the long term, will suffer the consequences of these political choices.

The population living in the surrounding areas of Porto Alegre faces problems due to the accumulation of garbage, exposure to various forms of contamination and disease, and finds it difficult to arrive at their workplaces. With trains still not working and the accumulation of water in the stations, many people have no access to their sources of income.

In addition, many of these families welcome relatives and friends into their homes. Reports of these difficulties are frequent: people who have lost everything, including their income, can’t even access publicized benefits because of bureaucracy. Data shows that 60% of residents in the metropolitan region of Porto Alegre have had their income affected. Of all the capital’s 96 neighborhoods, 46 were affected, directly harming 157,000 people and damaging 39,000 properties, according to a survey by Rio Grande do Sul’s registry office.

Meanwhile, the traditional media has been publicizing the central regions of Porto Alegre – which, fortunately, have no waterlogged areas and are being gradually cleaned up – giving the impression that the government is doing its job. However, the population, which has already been abandoned by state policies, is still in an even more alarming situation than usual. These same media outlets have announced emergency measures. However, there has been little debate about starting a profound urban reform to solve the housing problems of the city, which is one of the worst Brazilian capitals in terms of income distribution and housing.

The national network of solidarity and assistance forged to help the state of Rio Grande do Sul must be applauded. It was even negatively mentioned by Eduardo Leite when he said that donations could cause financial losses for entrepreneurs. But as media attention decreases and the spotlight turns to other issues, it is the grassroots movements that remain on the front line, facing the long-term consequences of the climate tragedy. They are the ones who continue to mobilize, offering support to the affected communities and pressuring the government for structural changes that can prevent future catastrophes and minimize the long-term consequences for the most vulnerable population.

It is in this sense that the Homeless Workers’ Movement (MTST, in Portuguese) and its Solidarity Kitchens have played an important role in these areas. Recently, the delivery of 200,000 meals was celebrated, but the work continues apace and is expanding. New solidarity kitchens have been opened in the neighborhoods of Lami, Nosso Senhor do Bonfim and Mário Quintana, in addition to the traditional Azenha Kitchen. The reality of these territories shows that hunger continues to be one of the main problems the population faces, a population that has been abandoned to the outskirts of the city in favor of sanitizing the central regions.

In an emotional speech during the celebration of the delivery of 200,000 meals, Fernando Campos, the national coordinator of the MTST, said: “On the first day of the flood, Solidarity Kitchen delivered meals. It was social movements that ensured the people would not go hungry. And it is from social movements that comes the needed organization to achieve decent housing that the federal government has been promising for the reconstruction of Rio Grande do Sul.”

Finally, it is worth noting that by working together with the most vulnerable population, victims of environmental and structural racism, class prejudice and other forms of oppression, the horizons continue to be set for a radical urban transformation, not just in the city of Porto Alegre, but throughout Brazil. In addition to the problem of housing, this movement aims to tackle hunger, which has been seen throughout Brazilian history and continues to affect the working class of our country and, above all, Porto Alegre.

*Felipe de Araújo Cherosini is a master’s student in Law at the University do Extremo Sul Catarinense (PPGD-Unesc). He is a researcher linked to the Latin American Critical Legal Thought Group, which is subdivided into the Latin American Critical Criminology group – Andradiano (Unesc), and a member of the Criminology and Social Movements axis – Institute for Research into Law and Social Movements (IPDMS).