“Generally, slaves were buried nearby the church, therefore the chance is high that there was a burial in the current condominium (media village)”, Oliveira said. “I regard the ground as sacred because it is where my ancestors were buried.”The media village is a condominium – Grand Club Verdant – that will be sold to private buyers after the Games. Journalists covering the Olympic Games may find themselves caught up in a row over one of the darkest periods of Brazilian history, following claims that part of the media village has been built on a mass grave of African slaves. “The Media Village of Rio 2016 is a private enterprise, built on private property and following the urban parameters determined for the site,” a spokesman said. The quilombo community have also written to Rio mayor Eduardo Paes to complain about environmental destruction.

Source: The Guardian July 21, 2016 10:00 UTC