Hard to believe it’s already been a year, but, in a few words, it’s Carnaval time again! Here’s how the media’s reporting it!
Brazil starts celebrating annual Carnival Brazil!
As one of the most flamboyant celebrations in the world, the Rio Carnival is expected to lure in some 900,000 tourists to stay in the city for the revelry, Rio’s tourism management agency said. To cope with the security challenges from the huge influx of visitors, Rio’s police department has deployed 14,400 officers to patrol the streets of Rio. Some 2,500 police cars will also be on call during the holiday.
In Brazil’s northern city of Salvador, which also has a name for its Carnival celebrations, half a million tourists are expected this year.
Carnival Starts with More Police
by Leo Byrne
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The number of police on duty during Carnival has been stepped up this year to 14,454 in order to help ensure the safety of partygoers. The figure marks an increase of 2,500 compared to 2012, aiming to improve security while an estimated million visitors pour into Rio.
Starting today at 8AM when the Carnival officially begins, Rio’s streets will also see an increase in the number of police vehicles on patrol with over two thousand cars moving around the city’s various block parties or ‘blocos’ as they are locally known. The city will also provide 7,600 military police each day to further guarantee the safety of both the 357 blocos happening this weekend and the Samba School parades in the Marquis de Sapucaí or Sambódromo.
There will also be a reserve troop of the military police’s Special Operations Battalion (BOPE) and Shock Battalions, who will have five hundred officers on call in case of emergencies. “Carnival in Rio has grown tremendously in recent years and the Military Police is committed to ensuring the safety of revelers. This operation is the result of months of planning. Working in partnership with other corporations, we can ensure a safe Carnival for everyone,” said the military police’s spokesman, Colonel Frederick Caldas.
Visitors to Rio can also look to a special division of police will be dotted around Rio’s popular tourist areas. The Team Battalion Special Tourist Service (Bptur) will ensure that policing the city’s most visited locations will be strengthened and each group of officers will have at least one bilingual representative.
Although generally very safe, Rio’s blocos occasionally generate controversy as the large numbers of party goers can cause disruption to the various neighborhoods in which they are hosted. The Sambódromo samba school parades, due to the presence of VIPs and celebrities is widely considered to be one of the safest venues in South America.
Brazil’s Rio Carnival 2013 Kick Starts With Enticing Revellers Parading in Glamorous Costumes
Brazil’s Rio Carnival starts on Saturday, 9 February and will conclude on 12 February. Ahead of the official start of the carnival, revellers from samba schools were seen at the Sambadrome Marquês de Sapuc on Friday. The Sambadrome is a purpose-built stadium located in Rio de Janeiro and designed specifically to host the annual parade.
The Rio Carnival 2013 is likely to a slightly watered-down affair, after the nightclub tragedy in the city of Santa Maria. The BBC reports as many as 60 people remain in hospital and carnival plans in several cities, Santa Maria and Rio de Janeiro included, have been re-worked. Brazil president Dilma Rousseff will take no part in Carnival festivities, officially or otherwise.
However, the show must go on. And even if the festivities have been scaled back, Rio’s reputation as the Carnival Capital of the World assures locals and visitors of a gigantic party. There are well over 500 processions expected over the course of the four days leading up to Fat Tuesday, with 1.1 million tourists expected. The reputation and profile of the Rio Carnival also ensure A-list celebrities from across the world are a part of the event. This year, glamorous Hollywood star Megan Fox and South Korean rapper Psy, of Gangnam Style fame, will among the big names present.
The local flavor of every Rio Carnival is provided by legions of Samba schools. These organisations train and create dancers and floats, with each representing one neighborhood of the city. The annual Samba parade is a competition that demands an incredible amount of hard work and preparation, with the final few months leading up to the Rio Carnival almost exclusively given to rehearsals.
Of course, the main attraction of the Rio Carnival is the bikini and sequin-clad dancers, whose energetic dances have long become the stuff of Carnival legend.
Source: China.org, Rio Times Online, IB Times
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