During a public hearing held by the Special Carnival Commission of the Rio de Janeiro City Council, carnival block organizers asked for more support and less bureaucracy for street events. The meeting, chaired by councilor Monica Benicio (PSOL), addressed the difficulties faced by smaller and independent blocks.
What do you need to know:
- Event: Public hearing on Rio’s street carnival.
- Date: Thursday, 25.
- Local: Rio de Janeiro City Council.
- Presidency: Councilor Monica Benicio (PSOL).
Problems highlighted
Representatives of the blocks criticized the current sponsorship and organization model adopted by the city hall, which according to them, favors only large events and leaves smaller ones without support. Excessive bureaucracy for the legalization of blocks was also highlighted as a significant obstacle for popular culture organizers.
Organizers’ Claims
The organizers proposed the end of the specification model, which requires a company to win a competition to sponsor the party, and defend management that values culture more than profit. They suggest that the Secretariat of Culture takes responsibility for organizing the carnival, instead of Riotur, which is a tourism company.
Perspectives and Open Dialogue
Victor Belart, carnival researcher, presented a report indicating that the majority of cultural producers classify the experience of working at carnival as negative. Juliana Costa from Liga Coreto questioned Riotur’s suitability to manage the event, and Veruska Delfino from the Department of Culture stated that the department is open to dialogue to improve access to public support.
Absence Noted
Riotur, invited to participate in the discussion, did not send representatives to the audience, which was noticed by those present and reinforced the perception of lack of commitment to the demands of the block organizers.
