Rio carnival organisers are voicing concerns on the eve of this year’s world-renowned parade, that the show might not stack up to the grandiose proportions of previous years.
The five-day festival, which officially starts on Friday has faced an uphill struggle to get on the road due to drastic subsidy cuts.
The crisis has been compounded by a wave of violence in Rio de Janeiro caused by drug trafficking gangs that forced the temporary closure this week of three major motorways linking Tom Jobim international airport and threatened the safety of hundreds of thousands of tourists arriving to party during the festivities.
Rio de Janeiro is home to the world famous annual carnival, which has become a magnet for tourists. Pictured is Maryane Hipolito, lead dancer for Academicos do Cubango samba school in the 2017 Rio Carnival
A woman sells feather-headbands at the sambadrome, the traditional venue for parades
Tourists at the sambadrome. Violence between rival drug gangs is threatening to put off visitors
Floats are covered with bags in a bid to keep them from prying eyes ahead of their unveiling at the carnival
Some of the float organisers have been forced to cut back the scale of the displays because of financial pressures
Preparations for the carnival have been underway despite the cash strapped city cutting payments
King Momo – the symbol of carnival – also known as Milton Junior shows the key to the city of Rio, during its official opening ceremony
Bosses of the top tier samba schools claim this year’s celebration has been the toughest they’ve ever put on because they’ve had to modify their special effects, reduce the size of their floats and use less expensive materials – which some suggest has impacted on the ‘wow’ factor.
Luiz Fernando do Carmo, from a champion samba school, says the cuts have hit hard with many staff facing pay cuts
In June last year, Rio Mayor Marcelo Crivella, made the shock announcement that multi-million pound funding for the world’s biggest party would be slashed in half as the authority was facing a huge financial crisis and couldn’t afford to foot the total bill of 24 million reais (£5.5million).
Alexandre Louzada, art director of Mocidade Independente de Padre Miguel school, last year’s joint winners, told Focus On News: ‘In 34 years I have never faced such a serious crisis.
‘We want to put on a beautiful carnival, but the reality to do so has been tough.
‘We have done what we can with what we have and in the end, we didn’t have to go to a Plan B and it will still be a carnival for champions.
‘But I had to do away with a lot of my ideas. I was forced to reduce the giant sculptures and minimize the mechanics and automated movements. Our display, this year, will be more simpler and not as ostentatious and as incredible as last years. It’s not as I would have liked,’ he admitted.
Luiz Fernando do Carmo, known as Laila, director of 13 times champion Beija-Flor samba school, complained: ‘The country’s financial crisis has made things extremely difficult for the biggest audio visual spectacle in the world.
Terrified residents in Mare Complex lay on the floor during the gun fire this week
‘This year the samba schools don’t have the money to inject into anything. We normally give costumes away to people living in the (favela) where the school is based, but this year it was difficult to do as we need every cent we can get.
‘It’s also been difficult to pay our staff. This year they had to take wage cuts and complete the construction of the floats in less than half the time.
‘I’m worried about how this is going to affect the show on the weekend as it’s been hard to maintain our dreams and to make ends meet,’ the carnival chief lamented, adding Beija Flor still intends to put on a great procession with ‘enthusiasm and joy’.
Police patrolling Mare Favela following gun battles with criminal gangs. The authorities have been struggling to keep a lid on the violence that has taken hold of the city
At the cidade da samba – or samba city where the premiere schools secretly prepare their floats in massive hangars, some of this year’s displays, parked outside the depots were hidden under black or blue bags as the groups made every effort to keep their ideas covered up before the big reveal on the day.
To add to their woes however, technical rehearsals, normally carried out in the Sambadrome – the dedicated parade venue – during January and February, were suspended by the Independent League of Samba Schools (Liesa).
Traditionally the practice sessions, which served as a test for the official parade, were bankrolled by Liesa. But for the first time in 15 years, the League simply couldn’t afford the expense.
It’s put the coordination, presentation, sound testing and timing, all factors vital to a schools’ success, on shaky ground as the groups compete for the top spot.
Added to this the cash-strapped schools have had to slash the prices of hundreds of carnival costumes that remain unsold.
They say potential dancers have cancelled at the last minute due to the fear of violence in Rio and also because of the effects of the financial crisis in the country.
On Monday and Tuesday this week criminal gangs dominating the favelas lining Rio’s major intersecting routes.
Grande Rio samba school’s parade at the 2017 Rio Carnival in the Sambadrome
Dancers in the Ala section in the Acadêmicos de Santa Cruz samba school in the 2017 Rio Carnival
Official Queen of the 2017 Rio Carnival in the Sambadrome. This year’s event may lose its ‘wow’ factor, many in Rio fear
Linha Vermelha (Red Line), Linha Amarela (Yellow Line) and Avenida Brazil brought the city to a standstill as they engaged in sustained gun battles between rival factions and police.
A 20 year old man and two children died during the violence while another child is critically injured in hospital suffering from bullet wounds.
The shootouts filmed by terrified motorists threatens to derail the plans of hundreds of thousands of visitors who still intend to party in the city.
Uiliana Adaes dancing at the sambadrome during the 2017 carnival
On a day to day basis more than 45 schools had to be closed, scores of residents in the favelas affected had to lie on the floor while bullets flew and hundreds of locals living in the shanty towns and those driving on the expressways were prevented from going to work.
Military police and the army were deployed to the favelas affected, Mare Complex and the City of Gods and 23 were arrested in the pre-carnival raids.
But critics say this has only been a temporary and limited ‘patch up’ as the drug traffickers ‘escape before (cops) arrive and return when they have gone’.
On Thursday the authorities said that security is being beefed up as the world-famous Carnival bash begins.
Gov. Luiz Fernando Pezao said in a press conference that security forces will now total more than 17,000 statewide per day.
That includes 2,000 extra agents who were off duty and will now work during the festival.
Rio’s mayor Crivella also announced that the city was hiring a private security firm to put 3,375 unarmed officers on the streets to complement the municipal guard and the military police.
While confirming that he will attend the parade this year, after he was accused of not liking the Carnival and deliberately missing it last year, Crivella said: ‘These extra agents will help to generate a perception of safety during this great event.’
He revealed Rio is expecting over six million people to attend the spectacular showcase event, the carnival balls and the exuberant street parties, also called blocos.
This year there will be 473 blocos attracting thousands of local residents and tourists as they turn the city into the world’s biggest party before the start of the Catholic period of Lent.
Rio Governor, Luiz Pezao, said: ‘We have always passed the big events with tranquillity. Our New Year’s Eve celebrations took place without any problems. Rio is used to these big events and always does very well.’