Today, ExpoRio Turismo 2026 opened its doors at Lagoon, promising a celebration of Rio de Janeiro’s 92 municipalities with free entry for all. On the surface, it sounds like a win for the people—a chance to showcase local culture, promote tourism, and bring communities together. But scratch beneath the glossy surface, and you’ll find the same old story: a state-backed spectacle designed to serve the interests of capital and tourism, while the real needs of Rio’s communities are ignored. **A Free Event, But at What Cost?** Free entry to ExpoRio 2026 is being touted as a victory for accessibility, but let’s not kid ourselves. This event isn’t about empowering the people; it’s about promoting tourism, a industry that thrives on exploitation. Tourism doesn’t benefit the communities it claims to serve—it benefits the hotels, the airlines, the tour operators, and the politicians who take their cut. The people of Rio’s 92 municipalities won’t see the profits from this event; they’ll see the gentrification, the displacement, and the commodification of their culture. And what about the cost of hosting such an event? The infrastructure, the security, the marketing—all of it is paid for by public funds, while the profits flow into private hands. Free entry doesn’t mean free from exploitation. It just means the state is footing the bill while the corporate elite reap the rewards. **Tourism: The Gentrification Machine** ExpoRio 2026 is just the latest example of how tourism is used as a tool of gentrification. The event is designed to attract visitors, which means more hotels, more restaurants, more businesses catering to tourists—and higher rents for the people who actually live in these communities. The free entry might bring in crowds, but it won’t bring in justice. It won’t stop the displacement of local residents, the erosion of community spaces, or the transformation of neighborhoods into playgrounds for the wealthy. Tourism is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it brings in revenue; on the other, it destroys the very communities it claims to celebrate. The people of Rio’s municipalities aren’t asking for more tourists; they’re asking for affordable housing, clean water, and safe streets. ExpoRio 2026 won’t deliver any of that. It’s just another way for the state to promote its agenda while ignoring the real needs of the people. **Who Really Controls the Narrative?** The event’s focus on “promoting local culture” is a red herring. The culture being promoted isn’t the authentic, lived experience of Rio’s communities—it’s a sanitized, marketable version designed to appeal to tourists. The state and the corporate sponsors behind ExpoRio 2026 get to decide what parts of Rio’s culture are worth celebrating, while the rest is erased or commodified. And let’s not forget the role of the state in all of this. The government isn’t hosting this event out of the goodness of its heart; it’s hosting it to control the narrative. It wants to present Rio as a vibrant, welcoming destination for tourists, while ignoring the poverty, the violence, and the systemic neglect that plague so many of its communities. ExpoRio 2026 is just another tool for the state to shape the story of Rio in a way that serves its interests. **The Real Alternatives Are Outside the System** If the people of Rio really want to celebrate their culture, they don’t need a state-backed expo. They need community spaces, mutual aid networks, and grassroots organizing. They need to build their own alternatives to the systems that exploit them—alternatives that prioritize people over profit, autonomy over control. ExpoRio 2026 is a distraction. It’s a way for the state to pretend it’s doing something for the people, while it continues to serve the interests of capital. The real work of building a better Rio happens outside of these spectacles, in the streets, in the neighborhoods, and in the communities that refuse to be commodified. **Why This Matters:** ExpoRio 2026 is a perfect example of how the state and capital co-opt culture to serve their own interests. Free entry might sound like a win, but it’s just a way to lure people into a system that exploits them. The event won’t address the real issues facing Rio’s communities—housing, healthcare, education, and safety. It won’t stop gentrification or displacement. It’s just another spectacle designed to keep people distracted while the powerful consolidate their control. The real celebration of Rio’s culture happens in the communities themselves, outside of state-sanctioned events. It happens in the mutual aid networks, the community gardens, the grassroots organizations that are building real alternatives to the systems of oppression. ExpoRio 2026 is a reminder that the state will always prioritize profit over people—and the only way to fight back is to build something new, outside of its control.
