SAMBA SCHOOL FUNDS IN DANGER
The mayor of Rio de Janeiro has outraged Carnival lovers by suggesting the budget for Brazil’s renowned samba schools should be slashed in order to provide more funding for children in state-run daycare. Marcelo Crivella has announced the city is mulling a plan to cut samba school subsidies in half by next year, the Rio Times reported. The samba schools receive millions in state funding for the city’s annual Carnival parades, one of Brazil’s biggest tourist attractions. But Crivella said Rio citizens have to choose between funding a three-day party or improving food and school conditions year-round. “Rio has about 15,000 children in daycare centres that need resources throughout the year,” he wrote on social media. The Independent League of Samba Schools says it is reserving judgment until it meets with city officials.