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A32 FEATURE
Thursday 23 February 2017
Rio Carnival revelers hunt for bargains amid economic crisis

MAURICIO SAVARESE finding a deal.
Associated Press Claudio Muniz, who man-
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — In- ages a Carnival store in
stead of costly and elabo- downtown Rio, said sales in
rate costumes with glitter- January were nonexistent
ing sequins, expect more and only in recent days
cheap getups featuring have people started look-
fake mustaches, hats and ing — for bargains.
tiaras at this year’s Carni- “Last year was already
val. Revelers are bargain- bad. People only bought
hunting ahead of Rio de kits,” said Muniz. “We didn’t
Janeiro’s world famous raise any prices, but peo-
party, which is about to ple still think it is expensive.”
kick off amid a prolonged Homemaker Marina Hill is
economic crisis that is hurt- one of the locals spending
ing pocketbooks and the less. Last year, she bought
myriad businesses that two costumes, but this year
depend on the bash for a will buy only one that she
large part of their annual plans to wear every day.
incomes. “I am not spending more
Many parade tickets have than 150 reais ($55),” she
not been sold, sponsors said. “It’s not easy, but
have declined to pony up In this Feb. 8, 2017 photo, a worker prepares costumes for the upcoming Carnival at the Imperatriz not celebrating would be
for street parties and hotels Leopoldinense samba school, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. even worse.” Even some
are expected to be emp- Associated Press good Carnival news na-
tionwide reflects bad news
sures. In the neighboring for Carnival in Rio. Stores
state of Espirito Santo ear- in Sao Paulo, the nation’s
lier this month, military po- largest city, project a rise of
lice went on a weeklong 6 percent in sales for party-
work stoppage that coin- goers. But that is because
cided with an upsurge in many people who usually
murders and other crimes. travel to Rio are staying
The fear that Rio police home. For the vast major-
would stage a similar strike ity of Cariocas, as Rio resi-
was so strong that resident dents are known, Carnival
Michel Temer has activat- celebrations have always
ed 9,000 soldiers to patrol been about street parties,
in the state of Rio. called “blocos da rua.”
In Rio’s popular commerce Even the 451 “blocos” this
areas this week, stores year may suffer.
were filled with products “Sponsors are gone, city
but light on customers. Full hall doesn’t help and no
Carnival costumes, with one wants to put their per-
prices varying between 30 sonal items like their cars
reals (about $10) and 3,000 on sale to celebrate Car-
reals (about $1,000), were nival,” said Rita Fernandes,
not selling. Instead of glit- one of the organizers of
tery pieces for revelers to a “bloco” association. “If
In this Feb. 8, 2017 photo, women work on costumes for the upcoming Carnival at the Imperatriz dress as harlequins, police- there is no help, many of us,
Leopoldinense samba school, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. men, nurses and Wonder including blocos that have
Associated Press Women, party-goers are been around for 30 years,
tier than last year’s also 3 billion Brazilian reals ($950 Organizers say they want to most concerned about might be gone soon.”q
disappointing blast, when million) in the city during make sure television cam-
worries about the Zika virus the Feb. 24-28 festivities. If eras don’t capture any
kept some foreign tourists that pans out, it would be empty spaces. The back-
away and the recession roughly the same amount drop is the worst recession
depressed local spending. of revenue as last year. that Latin America’s larg-
“Last year was not great, Hotels estimate they will est nation has suffered in
but we still had the 2016 see only a 72 percent oc- decades. Brazil’s central
Olympics as a peg to Carni- cupancy rate, about 14 bank estimates the coun-
val. Now we can feel there points less than last year. try’s economy shrank more
is a reduction,” said Cristina With festivities starting Fri- than 4 percent in 2016 and
Fritsch, head of Rio’s travel day, there are still 800 stand unemployment is around
agents association. “Secu- tickets for the parade, 12 percent.
rity is also making people which typically sell out right Rio’s state government has
worry at a time when pub- after New Year’s Day. Many felt that impact like few
lic servants, including the of the box seats for the float others, with public servants
police, are threatening to parade, which feature lo- having their pay delayed
go on strike.” cal and global celebri- for months. Violent protests In this Feb. 8, 2017 photo, a man prepares costumes for the up-
Rio’s tourism agency is ties, have been distributed have become frequent as coming Carnival at the Imperatriz Leopoldinense samba school,
hoping to attract 1 million among the samba schools the state legislature consid- in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Associated Press
tourists who spend about that put on the spectacle. ers several austerity mea-