Ceilândia was formed by manual laborers who took part in the construction of the capital and chose not to return to the harsh life in the Northeast

Ceilândia, a city born 10 years after the construction of Brasília, is a symbol of hope and perseverance. The workers, mainly from the Northeast, who helped build the city planned and admired by Brazilians and the world, chose to stay here in search of a better life. Brasilia, a masterpiece of architecture, urbanism and modern planning, was designed to house up to 500,000 inhabitants and serve as the political center of the federal government. In contrast, Ceilândia was formed by manual laborers who took part in the construction of the capital and chose not to return to the harsh life in the Northeast.

I was born in Ceilândia, the son of those pioneers who placed their hope in a better life. The city’s history is complex, full of different perspectives, mismatches, myths, mistakes and half-truths. It is a reflection of the deep contradictions of our country, which needs to find a way to resolve its issues in order to become a single nation. For this reason, we can’t have cities that are privileged with good public policies while others are left helpless, without seeing their taxes turned into improvements.

Our story begins with the workers who built Brasilia and formed small favelas around the new capital.

Our story begins with the workers who built Brasilia and formed small favelas around the new capital. These favelas soon became a problem, and the military government found a temporary solution: to move these small invasions to Vila do IAPI, which, over time, accumulated a population of 80,000 people. The temporary solution turned out to be a new problem for the government.

When Brasilia was inaugurated, the military government faced resistance from the Free City, which later became the Núcleo Bandeirante. The problem now was even bigger: a much larger city resisting removal. To avoid a disaster like the one that happened to Construtora Pacheco Fernandes in 1959, when workers were killed by the Brasília Special Guard, a leader willing to negotiate emerged in Ceilândia.

Gongon, the great leader of the time, agreed to talk to the government to avoid a tragedy.

Gongon, the great leader of the time, agreed to talk to the government to avoid a tragedy. After many negotiations, an agreement was reached and the big move of the 80,000 people to Ceilândia began in 1970, with the inauguration of the city in 1971. The reality, however, was harsh: no water, electricity, basic sanitation or any infrastructure. Our parents said that we had nothing, just the wood from the construction of Brasilia used to build our shacks, and the water came from water trucks. Friends from the old Vila IAPI were separated, a strategy to avoid organizing movements.

Over the years, the distance and the differences between Ceilândia and Brasília have consolidated. Despite being just 25 kilometers apart, the two cities live opposite realities. Ceilândia, with few public policies, and Brasília, a sumptuous city and considered one of the best places to live in the country. Many artists, rap singers, poets like Carlos Drummond de Andrade and thinkers like Cristovam Buarque have spoken about these differences.

Brasília, the legitimate and planned daughter, and Ceilândia, the bastard city with a bad reputation

Recently, Globoplay’s “Justice 2” series put Ceilândia in the spotlight, contrasting it with Plano Piloto. It showed our realities, our happiness and our pain. Brasília, the legitimate and planned daughter, and Ceilândia, the bastardized and poorly spoken city, reflect not only geographical differences, but the human inability to live with differences and the politics that benefit some to the detriment of others.

The human experience is greater than where we come from or what we own. Living with different cultures and experiences can make us better. We sell drugs in Ceilândia, but a UNB study showed that the highest drug consumption in the DF is in Asa Norte. We are the ones who provide services in various capacities in Brasilia. Despite the hatred many of us have for middle-class and wealthy Brazilians, we need to find ways to build bridges and productive connections.

The challenge for cities that were born together, one planned and the other the result of an invasion, is to understand each other.

The challenge for cities that were born together, one planned and the other the result of an invasion, is to understand each other. An eternal quarrel between two sisters who often hate each other but can’t live without the other. This understanding is crucial for all the children of these two cities. A peaceful coexistence of growth and understanding is essential if we are to understand where we have come from and where we are going, with a view to the evolution and development of the next generations, the descendants of this great history.