Madonna goes to war
"Busty Madonna posed on the Previdência hill alongside an alleged escort of military police. (You never know, when it comes to Madonna, if it's real life or a music video)," writes Alex Solnik, columnist for 247; he analyzes the context of the pop star's visit to a favela in Rio de Janeiro, where records of violence are already taking on the contours of a civil war; "She didn't ask permission from anyone, she just went there. Going up the hill today isn't tourism. It's Russian roulette. That's what the daily news reports. The Rio favela, the cradle of samba, romantic in the 50s, as we know it in the masterpieces of Nelson Pereira dos Santos, has become territory of stray bullets," says Solnik.
Busty Madonna posed on Morro da Previdência alongside what appeared to be a police escort. (When it comes to Madonna, you never know if it's real life or a music video.)
And the photo went viral, of course.
She made a face like she was being annoyed, like "nobody can stop me from going where I want to go".
Or else: "I don't give explanations!"
She didn't ask anyone for permission, she just went there and that was it.
Going up the hill today isn't tourism. It's Russian roulette.
That's what the daily news reports.
The favela in Rio de Janeiro, the birthplace of samba, romantic in the 50s, as we know it from the masterpieces of Nelson Pereira dos Santos, has become a territory of stray bullets.
And stray bullets don't discriminate between anonymous victims and celebrities.
Madonna sent a message through the camouflage outfit she wore for the photos:
This is a war zone.
And for those who didn't know before, now they do.
If that's the case, Rio should be treated like all conflict zones in the world: not just with repression.
Wars can have truces.
They may have peace agreements.
Until now, only the path of repression has been attempted.
* This is an opinion article, the responsibility of the author, and does not reflect the opinion of Brasil 247.