The mayor of Rio de Janeiro wants to cut subsidies for the Samba schools. Threaten to leave the carnival to be cancelled. The allegation is that the strictly Evangelical mayor wool to do that.
Rio de Janeiro without the Carnaval? Inconceivable! However, currently the town hall and carnival are about the cross: Rio’s mayor, Marcelo Crivella, has announced plans to halve the urban grants. Only twelve million in Real terms (EUR 3.3 million) wants to transfer Crivella the twelve major Samba schools in the “special group”.
At the same time the town hall had announced that the carnival clubs should receive compensation payments from the tourism Fund. However, the Association of the twelve Top schools LIESA made in a statement, the Event had to take place without them, if the public money is accounted for.
A dubious Deal
The money, according to the city hall, wool invest Crivella in the facilities of the municipal kindergartens. The daily newspaper “O Globo” speaks of a Budget-doubling in this Segment. However, not only the directly affected Samba schools warn that for the city of significantly more than twelve million Real in the game would be, should be the carnival of 2018 actually.
Also, smaller groups could be lack of money: Because of the economic crisis, sponsors have their carnival-Budgets slashed
Because many of the more than 70 smaller Samba schools complain about lack of money. So far, only 80 percent of the promised budget had been paid out. Now, it is said, let it rest for the preparations, also because the suppliers want to give the schools due to the news from the town hall no credit.
Clammy Carnival Funds
In past years, the organized carnival had to do in Rio with smaller Budgets. First, the state of Rio de Janeiro underscore from the Session of 2016, the six million Real, with whom he had a grant of carnival until then. The private sponsors cut due to the poor economic situation of your carnival budget in the whole country.
Nevertheless, the carnival of 2017 was a success, with Six million people attracted to the different groups according to the municipal tourism authority Riotur on the streets – among them, more than a Million tourists. The sales Riotur estimated at three billion Real (815.000 Euro). “One wonders whether he (Crivella) know the sum,” said the Chairman of the Association of travel agencies in Rio de Janeiro (Abav-RJ), Cristina Fritsch, “or whether there are religious reasons”.
Rise of the Evangelicals
The presumption, the mayor of Rio reject the carnival for religious reasons, is not new. Crivella is a Bishop of the “Igreja Universal do Reino de Deus” (IURD), an influential Pentecostal Church with Headquarters in Rio de Janeiro. Evangelical congregations to keep their members in most cases to a strict Puritan way of life. Not a few people have found with the help of such organisations the way in a well-ordered and often professionally successful life, or even back found.
Through the donations of churches in many countries of the North and the developed South America’s billion-dollar organizations. The IURD about operates in Brazil, the second-largest TV channel in the country, its founder, Edir Macedo, the Forbes magazine has since 2017 the 46 Dollar billionaires in Brazil.
Rio’s mayor, Marcelo Crivella: the first Evangelical Brazilians in a major Executive office
Meanwhile, one out of every five Brazilians is committed to churches one of the numerous Pentecostal. Inspired from the inlet of the echelons have become increasingly involved politically. So far, they have had, especially at the legislative level – with Seats in the national, Federal state and municipal parliaments across the country.
Marcelo Crivella was the first Evangelical who was able to win with his election to mayor of Rio de Janeiro, an important Executive posts in Brazil. The direct election in the second largest city in the country, he won with just under 60 percent. “He has made from his religious Connections, no Central point of his election campaign,” says the anthropologist Christina Vital and devoted to the theme of a book, in a DW Interview. “But he did this in order to reach Evangelical voters.”
Crivella and the carnival
In the meantime, the doubt, whether he still feels the General population is required, which has elected him. Last February, many Cariocas felt, as the inhabitants of Rio are called, in front of the head is not encountered, because your mayor appeared at the opening of the carnival, in order to pass the carnival with the symbolic keys of the city. “An insult to the whole population” was called the Abav-RJ-Chairman Fritsch. “This is a traditional ceremony, because it is not a question of whether you like carnival or not.”
The key to the city of Rio de Janeiro: This year will not be received him the carnival king from the hands of the mayor
In may Crivella adopted a regulation, according to the office of his Cabinet on the approval of public events with more than 1000 visitors expected to decide. So far was this the tourism authority Riotur, which worked apparently well: “With full documentation, it was possible to have an Event within three days approve,” said Alan Sant’anna, Chairman of the local organizer Association of daily newspaper “O Globo”. “The new regulation provides 30 days.” In addition, you fear that decisions from political or ideological motives, would like.
Political Compensation
The Association of Samba schools raises Crivella, without further ADO, word-break. In the election, stated in the above-mentioned LIESA statement, he promised to keep the city grants for the Samba schools, at least at the level of the previous year. He had even promised to raise to raise the event even bigger.
May Crivella want to put only a sign of his Evangelical supporters. In the first League of the Samba schools, they seem to have the hope still is not lost. It is said in the said Statement, you expect, “given the enormous economic and financial benefits, the creation of jobs and income, as well as the appreciation of the Image of the city of Rio de Janeiro,” that would be found in common conversations, a solution.