Carnival misses its traditional opening
BRAZIL: Revellers across Brazil began Carnival celebrations at the weekend, taking to the streets to dance, drink beer and spirits, and blow off steam at a time of economic angst and fury with politicians over a sprawling corruption scandal.
The world’s most famous Carnival bash in Rio opened in a strange way. After a day in silence, the city’s evangelical mayor Marcelo Crivella delayed the traditionally opulent starting ceremony only to skip it with the excuse that his wife was sick. Eventually, Rio city hall put out an email saying Carnival was ‘‘officially open’’.
But several so-called block parties in Rio were under way by the afternoon. Thousands of revellers danced amid 32 degrees Celsius heat with high humidity, standard during the southern hemisphere summer.
The odd opening to the iconic festival, which brings in more than $1 billion to Rio each year, that was the talk of the day.
At the sambadrome, where top league samba schools compete, revellers waited on Saturday for the traditional handing over of the city’s key to ‘‘Rei Momo’’, or the king of carnal delights.
This was always done with great fanfare by former mayor Eduardo Paes.
But Crivella, decided to send the head of Rio’s tourism agency to represent him at the opening ceremony. Even stranger was the quick removal of Rei Momo, who did not give interviews as usual and was escorted out of the sambadrome by security guards.
It isn’t clear whether Crivella, a retired Pentecostal bishop who took office on January 1, will attend any of the five days of parades at the sambadrome.
Earlier Saturday, when it was still unclear whether the mayor would come for the opening cer- emony, Maria Cristina held the symbolic key to the city, appearing like somebody who had been stood up.
‘‘I would also like to know what is going on,’’ said Cristina, the guardian of the key.
Cristina said the mayor’s office had told her and the symbolic keyholding group to come, but hadn’t said more about the plans.
The mayor ‘‘should separate religion from politics at our Carnival,’’ said Marisol Portela, a homemaker who had come to the sambadrome.
‘‘He will not be missed. We will throw our party anyway.’’ – AP
Truck hits mardi gras crowd
A pickup truck driven by a man who appeared to be ‘‘highly intoxicated’’ ploughed into a crowd of spectators watching the main mardi gras parade in New Orleans, sending more than 20 people to hospital, police say. The truck, travelling along the side of the street open to traffic along the parade route, struck three other vehicles, including a dump truck, before veering onto the median where a crowd of people stood watching the procession, according to New Orleans police. Police immediately apprehended the pickup driver, who according to eyewitnesses appeared dishevelled, glassy-eyed and under the influence of drugs or alcohol. A total of 28 people were injured, 21 of whom were taken to a local hospital, including one police officer. Seven others who were hurt declined transport. Media reports said 12 people were initially listed as critically injured.