AP photographer and Rio native, Felipe Dana, sheds light on the realities of life in the Olympic host city

8/01/2016 ISO 1200 Magazine 0 Comments

In one week, the world will be tuning in to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. What does this mean for its residents, many of whom regularly face extraordinary violence at the hands of drug traffickers, and for visitors? AP photographer Felipe Dana, who was born and raised in Rio, shares his perspective.

A young drug trafficker poses for a photo holding his weapon at a slum in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Teenagers openly tote guns while they work as guards, lookouts and distributors for drug lords operating just a few miles (kilometers) from where hundreds of thousands and tourists and athletes will be for the Aug. 5-21 Olympic Games. #apimages #riodejaneiro #olympics #rifle

Una foto publicada por Felipe Dana (@felipedana) el 24 de Jul de 2016 a la(s) 4:33 PDT

About Felipe Dana:

Felipe got an early start on his career at age 15 when he began working as an assistant photographer. In 2009, he joined AP and decided to dedicate himself solely to photojournalism, documenting the social upheaval in his native Rio de Janeiro as the city prepares for the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics. Let's Get Connected: Twitter | Instagram | Website