Tag Archives: FIFA

World Cup Travel Advisory: Cuiaba, Natal and Salvador

Posted on June 12, 2014 in 2014 FIFA World Cup - Security Update title_rule

Cuiabá

City Description

Cuiabá is the capital city of the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso. It is located in the western region of the country and, along with the neighboring town of Várzea Grande, it forms the metropolitan area of the state.

Security

Both the crime and homicide rates in Cuiabá are high. MS Risk therefore advises all travellers to the city to remain vigilant at all times.

Transportation

International Airport

Marechal Rondon International Airport connects Cuiabá with many Brazilian cities. The airport also operates some international flights. The airport is composed of one building, which is divided into two sections: upstairs and downstairs. The downstairs includes all the check-in terminals while the upstairs includes shops, eateries and an observation lounge.

High Ways

Cuiabá is connected by Pacific Ocean with the Interoceanic Highway, and to the Atlantic Ocean by the BR-364 Highway.

Light Rail

The system of 22 kilometers (14 miles) of the Cuiabá’s light rail connects the city with Várzea Grande in the Cuiabá metropolitan area and the international airport.

Natal

City Description

Natal is the capital and largest city of Rio Grande do Norte, a northeastern state in Brazil.

Security 

While the city of Natal was once safe, recent statistics have indicated that crime is on the rise, however it Natal is safer than other touristic cities in the northeast of Brazil, including Fortaleza, Recife and Salvador.

While pickpocketing is common, violent assaults in the city are rare.

If visiting the Forte dos Reis Magos, MS Risk recommends that you travel by taxi and avoid walking along the Praia Forte. This is due to a recent surge in assaults and robberies that have targeted tourists along the beach. Ponta Negra beach is also not secure, with armed assaults on the beach occurring at any time, including day and night.

MS Risk advises all travellers to the beach to avoid taking any valuable articles with you.

Transportation

International Airport 

Augusto Severo International Airport in Parnamirim is located 18 kilometers (9 miles) from Natal.

Highways

Federal Highway BR-101 is the most important access to Natal, coming from the south of Brazil through the boundary with the municipality of Parnamirim. If travelling from the State of Ceará, the principle access is by the Federal Highway BR-304, through the boundary with the municipality of Macaíba, where you pick up BR-226.

When leaving Natal, an important access to the southern Potiguar coast is the RN-063, which is also known as the “Sun Route” (Rota do Sol). This route takes you to the beaches of Pirangi, Búzios, Tabatinga, and up to the municipality of Nísia Floresta. The North Shore is accessible from the Newton Navarro Bridge, following the Praia do Forte to Genipabu, and the Igapó Bridge, following the district of Igapó by BR-101 to Touros, and by BR-406 to Macau.

Bus

Natal is connected to all the 167 municipalities of Rio Grande do Norte, along with dozens of locations and Potiguar districts, through the Passenger Bus Terminal of Natal, which is located in the Eastern zone of the city.

Taxis

Taxis in Rio de Janeiro are white and have red plates. Fares are the same, regardless of how new and comfortable the car is. Fares are regulated by the government.

Salvador

City Description

Salvador is the largest city on the northeastern coast of Brazil and is the capital of the Northeastern Brazilian state of Bahia.

Security

While Salvador is fairly safe, MS Risk advises all travellers to remain vigilant at all times. Always avoid deserted streets, especially after dark.

Transportation

International Airport

Deputado Luís Eduardo Magalhães International Airport is located 28 kilometers (17 miles) north of downtown Salvador.

Highways

The BR-101 and the BR-116 Federal highways cross Bahia from north to south, connecting Salvador to the rest of the country.

Bus

The bus station, or Rodoviária of Salvador, is located in Iguatemi district, with direct buses to larger cities in the country and to many destinations in the state of Bahia.

 

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It’s Kick Off Time! But Will It All Kick Off In Brazil?

Posted on June 12, 2014 in 2014 FIFA World Cup - Security Update title_rule

Short answer: probably not.
In the build up to the 2014 FIFA World Cup, there have been frequent protests about the expense of the stadia, fears of crime sprees, concerns over safety of stadia as well as a number of other topics favoured by nay-sayers. However, it is assessed that once the World Cup begins, the spirit of the sport will unite the masses with football fever. Much like the catastrophic predictions preceding the Summer Games of 2012 and Winter Games 2014, sensationalism sells newspaper and on both of those occasions, the populations pulled together and celebrated the occasion rather than take issue to spoil it.
This is not to say there won’t be the occasional violent event outside a stadium or that street robberies won’t occur, but it is assessed that it won’t happen with a greater frequency or severity at any other time in Brazil or at other large scale sporting events.
It is important to note that Brazil is a big with a lot of people (ranked fifth for both land mass and population) therefore it is foolish to assume there is a homogenous security environment. Not only will the situation vary significantly by city but by neighbourhood, time of day, and security presences as well so the best defence will be an awareness of the immediate situation and the avoidance of trouble.  When angry crowds start forming leave, avoid dark areas with no escape routes, know the emergency phone numbers, don’t carry valuable possessions in the open at night, and always have spare currency separate from your wallet just in case the worst should happen.  The best policy is always to stay out of trouble rather than trying to figure your way out of it.
Please stay tuned to our blog as we keep you up to date on events in Brazil. If you would like to know more about the security environment in Brazil, we will be posting detailed assessments of each host city, please see the details for the São Paulo for the first game between Brazil and Croatia: https://msrisk.com/world-cup/sao-paulo-travel-advisory/
Let the games begin!!
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