MACEIÓ — “Come and visit the Brazilian Caribbean!” proclaims Brazil’s tourism board, alongside images of the white sandy beaches and turquoise waters of Maceió, capital of the country’s northeastern state of Alagoas.
On the ground, however, the situation is quite different from the one shown in holiday brochures. Indeed, streets in some of Maceió’s most traditional neighborhoods look more like war zones than tourist attractions.
Walking around the city, one encounters entire blocks of dilapidated houses,...
