Morro da Mineira("Miner's Hill") is a favela located in the Catumbi neighborhood, near downtown Rio de Janeiro, the Sambadrome, and the Praça da Apoteose. Morro da Mineira is situated on a hill and composed of simple houses inhabited by working class residents. This favela has experienced periods of extreme violence, due primarily to drug trafficking and conflict with the police force. Morro da Mineira's origins date back to the early twentieth century, when underprivileged people began occupying the hills in Rio de Janeiro in an attempt to stay closer to the city center.