Page 32 - ARUBA TODAY

A32 FEATURE
Wednesday 14 February 2018
Ridicule of leaders, samba, skimpy garb at Brazil Carnival

By PETER PRENGAMAN and back against sexual harass-
MAURICIO SAVARESE ment. Several block par-
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Rio ties have feminist themes,
de Janeiro's top samba many women are wear-
schools danced and sang ing temporary tattoos and
hard Monday as millions stickers with messages like
of other Brazilians did the "'No' means 'no'" and au-
same during nationwide thorities have launched
Carnival celebrations that campaigns to encourage
ridiculed local and world women to report harass-
leaders, called for toler- ment to police.
ance and pushed the That is not to say that the
boundaries of just about famously skimpy wear got
everything. any more conservative.
Instead of the normal start The internet news portal
of the workweek, Brazil- G1 posted a photo gallery
ians loaded up on spirits highlighting female celeb-
and hit the beaches, pub- rities simply covering their
lic squares and streets for nipples with stickers or other
huge "blocos," or street par- barely there adhesives.
ties, in many locales under In Rio, the celebrations
a penetrating tropical sun A member of the Unidos da Tijuca samba school performs on a float during Carnival celebrations come during a time of un-
common during the sweaty at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Monday, Feb. 12, 2018. ease, as the city that host-
summer month of February. Associated Press ed the 2016 Summer Olym-
By late Monday night, with pics is experiencing a surge
the sun set but the heat bia in the streets," Vittar In the northeastern city of litical class and angst over in violence.
still in force, Rio's leading told Epoca magazine in a Olinda, revelers paraded continuing fallout from a Authorities promised 17,000
samba schools gave it their recent interview. "It's very with giant blow-up dolls severe recession. security officers would pa-
all at the Sambadrome, important to address this that depicted political On Sunday, a float in Rio's trol every day during Carni-
where they paraded 700 theme at Carnival so we figures like U.S. President samba parade featured val celebrations, but Brazil-
meters (half a mile) while can disseminate this mes- Donald Trump and North a plastic butt with Mayor ian media reported several
thousands looked on. sage (of tolerance) every Korean leader Kim Jong-un Marcelo Crivella's name muggings over the week-
"All these schools are amaz- day." as well as celebrities from on it. At parties across the end in the upscale neigh-
ing," said Celso Pinheiro, an Also Monday, the gay rights around the globe, includ- country, revelers have de- borhoods of Copacabana,
accountant watching the organization Gay Group ing Michael Jackson, the nounced President Michel Ipanema and Leblon that
parades. "They are differ- of Bahia hosted its annual Beatles and Brazilian sports Temer, former President Luiz are popular with tourists.
ent, just like there are so LGBT Costume Contest in and pop stars. Inacio Lula da Silva and Footage posted by G1
many different Carnival Salvador, including perfor- At Carnival, everything is other politicians caught up showed groups of young
celebrations." men chasing their vic-
Last year's champions, Por- tims and even beating
tela, on Monday portrayed them, sometimes in front of
the story of Jews who fled crowds of people.
persecution in Europe for Military police spokes-
Brazil, only to then face man Ivan Blaz said security
discrimination from Portu- would be further beefed up
guese colonists. in those beachside neigh-
Beija-Flor de Nilopolis, set to borhoods Monday night,
perform later, was expect- but he also appeared to
ed to have a drag queen play down the violence in
as its headliner. Pabllo Vit- an interview with Brazilian
tar has several videos with TV, contending that revel-
millions of hits on YouTube, ers were not following ba-
including one, "Todo Dia," sic security advice that is
that alone attracted 216 applicable in any city in the
million viewers. world. He said, for instance,
Vittar is a sensation in the that people shouldn't wear
Brazilian pop scene, and jewelry or take selfies with
Carnival has long been a their cellphones while in a
place to celebrate sexu- crowd, saying that phone
ality and diversity. But Bra- robberies are also a prob-
zil also has some of Latin lem at the Eiffel Tower.
America's highest rates of Despite the problems, most
violence against gay and revelers were enjoying the
transgender people, and A performer from the Paraiso do Tuiuti samba school parades during Carnival celebrations at the party, which officially goes
Beija-Flor was tackling in- Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, early Monday, Feb. 12, 2018. through Tuesday but for
tolerance against the LGBT Associated Press many stretches deeper into
community and others. the week. "Carnival is my re-
"It will be a parade that mances that highlighted fair game, and many Bra- in a sprawling corruption lease," said Rian Rodrigues.
highlights such an impor- Brazil's high rates of vio- zilians have seized the mo- probe. "I only sleep a few hours. I
tant theme ... because we lence against women and ment to criticize their lead- Women's groups have also party all day, come to the
see a lot of scenes of ho- gay and transgender peo- ers at a time of intense been using Carnival as a Sambadrone at night and
mophobia and transpho- ple. dissatisfaction with the po- time to highlight and push then keep partying."q