Exodus

The Prestes Maia 911 occupation by the MSTC, after a four year battle for a dignified home, has lost and the building is now being vacated.

Santos Dumont Occupation a Farse

Last month I blogged that on Sunday March 25, four occupation movements had taken over the abandoned Santos Dumont hotel. Last night one of my sources, an ex-Prestes Maia occupant and ex-member of the MSTC told me it was an arranged occupation. The four socialist movements involved reached an agreement with the owner to squat the building as long as the cleaned it out of the junkies already squatting and took care of painting and cleaning out the infrastructure. This would explain why the police did not interrupt the occupation when they arrived at the time of the break in. It would further explain why the local newspapers were unable to contact the owner.

It's worth noting that I have received word from some of the residents in the Prestes Maia, that the MSTC is attempting to lure many of the residents into obtaining the R$1800 being offered by city hall and then attempting to charge them of overdue condominium fee. In essence the movement has obtained housing for them and now wants their money?

Assembly and Sorrow for Samara

I returned to the Prestes Maia that same night for an assembly meeting that would explain to the residents their options for obtaining housing, as described in the previous post. The assembly was led by Jaira, Jo Marina and Yanette an all women team of MSTC leaders. There were a lot less people as you can see.

Yanette made her points and then a series of questions and answers went around. During her presentation she also made note that through the grapevine she's heard of people talking behind her back. Samara, who I photographed last year, was included. In the beginning of February the coordinator on Samara's floor accused her of stealing a bikini, of all things to steal in city! The MSTC leaders searched her shack without warning and in front of her children. Nothing was found. The cocoordinator proceeded to threaten her and accuse her of having sold it already. After the search she returned with Jaira and Jo Marina and physically abused Samara, leaving her with a broken arm.

Days later, under Samara's threat to press charges, Yanette appeared in the building, apologizing and defending Samara. Yanette convinced her not to press charges, alleging it could endanger the negotiations going on at city hall. What I couldn't understand was why now Yanette, with microphone in hand, threatened to punch Samara's teeth out? By the way, the crowd at the assembly cheered on.

All in all it appears to be gossip and jealousy once again taking hold of these people. Samara is good friends with Veronica from the 12th floor. Yanette is dating Veronica's ex. Get the picture?

Samara out of fear for her life and her children, left the building, seek Mauricio her husband at work.

Sunday Mass for the Masses

The Igreja Universal and its Evangelists soldiers are back. I say they are soldiers because they stand at attention outside the Prestes Maia and at church. They also, have a one track mind, Jesus is everything you will ever need they repeat to me. Any time a woman would exit the building, the man at left would signal the woman at left to pursue and attempt to convince her to go to church. There's really nothing wrong with having faith. But as you will see I question the legitimacy of their goals.

I came along because I was hoping to have access to the church. I have been refused to photograph the Igreja Universal ceremonies several times. There's been a long battle with the media accusing them of fraud and manipulation. The truth is that only 10 min. after the beginning of the ceremony the crowd was already marching up the stage to make donations, just like I had seen in the periphery. Little white envelopes full of cash were being dropped into a large glass box. It looked more like Jesus was getting monetary votes of approval. The preacher repetitively revolved his sermon on becasue you give the lord now he will give back. Invest in the lord, he says.

On the bus there I sat next to Maria da Lapa and three of her twelve children. I had not seen Maria in a while. Maria has confessed to being a nymphomaniac. Reason why she is a mother of 12? The eldest married and living in the building too, with her own three children. Maria, lost her home four years ago due to her husband's alcoholism. She was a bit depressed now, even knowing she was going to get an apartment in Itaquera. She kept asking me if I knew of an NGO that could help her get her kids back to school so she could "get them off her back" for a while. Maria doesn't want to work but she did finally confess she's going a crazy with eight children in her single room shack in the Prestes Maia.

When we arrive at the church and before letting the residents off, the soldiers make it perfectly clear that they are here because God wants them to be. There are no coincidences, they say. God wanted you to be here today because it is God who has helped you find a place to live and has commanded that your situation be resolved. As the residents got off the bus, me included, the soldiers blessed us our heads with holy water.


The theatre operatics were at work. I must say the Evangelists make up for the boredom of Catholicism. Going to church here is very participatory. Anyhow I was in and shooting! Ha! I didn't last more than five minutes before the security and a lawyer member pulled me aside to know why I was shooting. It didn't matter that I explained how I was documenting the goals of the Prestes Maia residents and how faith had helped them survive. I needed the permission of the preacher, too busy on stage now and who would certainly tell me I needed permission from central headquarters. I had visited that building in Santo Amaro last year, asking for permission. It looked more like the vautl or general headquarters of multinational. I never got a reply.

The lawyer and second in command here told me to come back next week. They did invite me to stick around for the ceremony. Can't you shoot after the ceremony, outside? they said. Useless I told them, the moment was now. And so, I left. It wasn't long before Helena, who had invited me rushed out to ask me back in. She said, if you can't shoot stay and listen to the lord, he has brought you here for another reason. God wanted you to come church today not to shoot pictures, she insisted.

Good Luck on Friday 13

The Prestes Maia has been saved? Housing is going to be made available for all its residents? Politics are on the move. This coming Sunday was the deadline for the MSTC to resolve the Prestes Maia pullout or finally be evicted. I never believed they would be put on the street. The city already has a huge homeless population and putting another 500 people on the street overnight is no good for anyone.

On Thursday night City Hall, the Ministry of Habitat along with the CDHU showed up at the Prestes Maia and began conducting a census. From what I was told the basement was absolutely packed. Individual lines of men, women, pregnant women and elders were trying to prove how long they had been living in the building. They were there until 5 am. There was people who had never lived there too. The MSTC must have mobilized everyone they had. THe Prestes Maia has been sold the world over as the largest occupation in Latin America. Housing 468 families. If you do the math in Brazilian family equations, that amounts to 2300 residents. No way! I've been in that building for a year and at most there 600 people. The MSTC uses that number to obtain that amount of housing and solve most of their occupations problems. Last week a series of occupations were done downtown. Many of the residents of the Prestes Maia collaborated.

The officials had come to begin establishing a new housing offer to the residents with three options: 1. Move to the Itaquera housing projects 2. Receive USD$850 to pay for six months rent while the city renovates a series of buildings downtown for them or 3. Obtain a USD$12,000 financing project. The financing project is ridiculous cause no one here in this building can prove their salaries, they all have irregular or freelance jobs.

The following night, Friday the 13th, the mayor Gilberto Kassab (PFL) showed up to give the good news. The mayor in the Prestes Maia on a Friday night? The press had come along to boost the mayor's accomplishment, not the actual housing problem.

The basement was packed. I had been to many assembly meetings but had never seen so many people. On Sunday night the leaders of the MSTC would come back and explain to the residents how the plan was going to work. This time the room would be half full. This confirmed my suspicions the movement had brought people in from other occupations to the official census.

After the many hoorahs and love expressed to the mayor, who last week was being bithced at, members of the Evangelist Igreja Universal took the stage for a prayer. The Evangelists have begun working the building for the last month in an attempt to attract more faithfuls. On Sunday they would bring a bus to take them to church.

I won't believe they've got their believe until I see it myself. The last picture?