the effects of the weak economy of the 1970's carried over to the next decade and limited government resources to combat criminal organizations In the decades between 1980 and 2000 - as a result drug cartels began to occupy the favelas with great force, causing in turn serious detriment to both safety and the ability to develop infrastructure.

In the mid 1980s there was renewed economic growth - however, the ability to purchase in the suburbs considerably declined due to the general inability to borrow or get mortgages, concurrently with a sharp rise in the price of land.

this caused favela residency to grow rapidly, causing over-population and the development of new communities, particularly in the suburbs and in the West Zone.