Dona Marta


Favela Santa Marta is a favela located in the Botafogo and Laranjeiras part of the Morro Dona Marta, that is also divided with the neighborhoods of Flamengo, Cosme Velho and Silvestre, in the South Zone of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It has about 8000 residents, with 500 wooden houses, 2000 brick houses, 4 kindergartens, 3 bakeries, 2 sports fields, 1 block of a samba school, 3 military units and 1 small market. The favela is one of the steepest in the city.
Recently, the favela has been undergoing a process of urbanization. Several popular houses were built with sewage, water piping and installation of electrical cables. One of the most important works done in recent years in Dona Marta was the construction of a cable car that facilitates the transport of residents to higher areas of the hill.
Another major change in Dona Marta was the occupation of military force. On November 28, 2008 the control of Dona Marta was turned to civil police forces when Rio's first Pacifying Police Unit was established there. Since 2008 the favela has no more drug trafficking.
Dona Marta was the setting for international events as part of the clip of "They Don't Care About Us" by Michael Jackson and appearances in Bike Downhill MTB of Redbull and the film Fast Five.