Page 32 - aruba-today-20170225

A32 FEATURE
Saturday 25 February 2017
Brazil’s Carnival kicks off with parades and street parties

PETER PRENGAMAN key to the city, appearing
MAURICIO SAVARESE like somebody who had
Associated Press been stood up.
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — “I would also like to know
Revelers across Brazil be- what is going on,” she said
gan Carnival celebrations when asked by an Associ-
on Friday, taking to the ated Press reporter about
streets to dance, drink beer what she would do with the
and spirits, and blow off key. Cristina said the may-
steam at a time of eco- or’s office had told her and
nomic angst and fury with the symbolic key-holding
politicians over a sprawling group to come, but hadn’t
corruption scandal. said more about the plans.
The world’s most fa- The mayor “should sepa-
mous Carnival bash in Rio rate religion from politics
opened in a strange way. at our Carnival,” said Mari-
After a day in silence, the sol Portela, a homemaker
city’s evangelical Mayor who had come to the sam-
Marcelo Crivella delayed badrome. “He will not be
the traditionally opulent missed. We will throw our
starting ceremony until 8:30 party anyway.”
p.m. only to skip it with the The annual Carnival cele-
excuse that his wife was Carnival King Momo, Fabio Damiao dos Santos Antunes, holds up the key to the city at a cer- brations come at a difficult
sick. Eventually, Rio city hall emony marking the official start of Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Friday, Feb. 24, 2017. time for many Brazilians.
put out an email saying Associated Press The economy is mired in
that Carnival was “officially read one banner. “Carni- recession, leading to daily
open.” val is a very nice and dem- announcements of job cuts
But several so-called block ocratic party,” said party- and much angst about the
parties in Rio were under- goer Nilse Azevedo. “Who- future.
way by the afternoon. ever wants to pray, prays. Many states, including Rio
Thousands of revelers Whoever wants to have fun de Janeiro, are so broke
danced amid 90-degree in the street has fun.” that thousands of public
(32 Celsius) heat with high But it was the odd opening workers are being paid
humidity, standard during to the iconic festival, which months late, if at all.
the Southern Hemisphere brings in more than $ 1 bil- Latin America’s largest na-
summer. lion to Rio each year, that tion is also recovering from
At the “Carmelitas” block was the talk of the day. a brutal impeachment fight
party in Rio’s bohemian At the sambadrome, where last year that led to the re-
Santa Teresa neighbor- top league samba schools moval of President Dilma
hood, revelers dressed up begin competing on Sun- Rousseff for illegal misman-
as nuns, with many carry- day, revelers waited Friday A mask in the likeness of Brazil’s former President Luiz Inacio Lula agement of the budget.
ing signs insulting politicians for the traditional handing da Silva stands before the start of the “Out Temer” carnival street The man who replaced
who oppose marijuana le- over of the city’s key to party in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Friday, Feb. 24, 2017. her, Michel Temer, is deeply
Associated Press
galization. “The lord says: “Rei Momo,” or the king of unpopular.
you will try all the herbs carnal delights. This was al- fare by former Mayor Edu- But the current mayor, Criv- Temer and several others
that came from the seeds,” ways done with great fan- ardo Paes. ella, decided to send the in both chambers of Con-
head of Rio’s tourism agen- gress have been caught
cy to represent him at the up, either through formal
opening ceremony. Even charges or in plea bar-
stranger was the quick re- gains, in a massive corrup-
moval of Rei Momo, who tion probe that has jailed
did not give interviews as dozens of politicians and
usual and was escorted out businessmen in the last few
of the sambadrome by se- years. Temer denies wrong-
curity guards. doing.
It isn’t clear whether Criv- One of Rio’s big block par-
ella, a retired Pentecostal ties is dedicated to the
bishop who took office on president. It’s theme: “Out
Jan. 1, will attend any of with Temer!”
the five days of parades at In Sao Paulo, where samba
the sambadrome. Rio’s city school competitions get
council has already autho- started Friday night, there
rized him to travel abroad was heavy rain and thun-
on the next few days. der. Some streets in the
Earlier Friday, when it was eastern part of the mega-
still unclear whether the city were flooding. Images
mayor would come for the on Globo Television show
opening ceremony, Maria
A dancer performs during the Carmelitas street party in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Friday, Feb. 24, 2017. Cristina held the symbolic cars fully submerged and
Associated Press floating. q