Residents of three Rio de Janeiro slums say their human rights are being violated to make way for construction projects linked to the 2016 Olympics.
Slum leaders have filed a complaint with the Organization of American States, saying that local authorities are arbitrarily relocating them to build transit systems needed for the games.
The complaint, obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press, says nearly 300 families already have been removed from their homes because of the construction of two bus systems that are expected to ease Rio's traffic jams during the Olympics and the 2014 World Cup.
Some residents refused to leave their homes in December, with one woman tying herself to her house to try to stop its demolition.
The 25-page document, filed by community leaders at the OAS, accuses government officials of making threats to force residents to move and of giving them a few poor options of where they can go.
The city, however, would not be legally required to abide by any decision made by the OAS.
The OAS wouldn't confirm receiving the complaint, saying all petitions sent to its human rights commission are treated as confidential.
''The residents are not totally against relocating,'' said Eduardo Pereira, an adviser for the leaders. ''They want things to be done correctly. They want to have options, they want authorities to talk to them before continuing with the relocation.''
The city denies any wrongdoing and guarantees the residents will be relocated fairly and legally. The Rio 2016 organizing committee declined to comment, saying the relocations were a matter for the Rio city government.
The city's media office said it hadn't received any notification from the OAS regarding Olympic projects.
''The games haven't started yet but they are already leaving legacies which are not necessarily positive,'' the complaint says. ''Construction for these transit systems, which in principle are important to urban mobility, have promoted the massive relocation of several communities never discussed with residents.''
Pereira said the biggest complaint is that authorities want to relocate residents too far from where they live and work, sometimes nearly 20 miles away. In addition, he said some city agents have been pressuring citizens and business owners to accept insufficient financial compensation for the relocations, saying they risk getting nothing if they refuse the offers.
Pereira said the city is offering from $3,000 to $12,000, which residents say is not nearly enough to buy a property similar to the ones being destroyed.
''It's too much pressure,'' said Joao Varzea da Cruz, a resident of the Vila Harmonia slum. ''I gave up fighting, the weakest side always loses.''
The complaint says the requirements imposed by the International Olympic Committee for host cities have caused Rio to create a series of laws that undercut previous regulations that protected communities in case of relocations. It also said the changes ''directly benefit'' the real state sector - increasing the number of projects awarded to constructors - in ''detriment of the poorer populations.''
It will be the first time the Olympics will take place in South America. Rio's Maracana stadium is also expected to host the final of the 2014 World Cup.
