Tag Archives: Rio de Janeiro

Security Update: Fifa World Cup

FIFA have announced it plans to beef up security around the Maracanã in Rio following the attempted breach by 87 un-ticketed Chilean fans. This is will come in the form of an increased presence of security forces as there is insufficient time to appropriately enhance security infrastructure. Be aware that this may cause further delays to getting into matches as cordons may be widened and more ticket checks put in place.

 Today’s matches are in Belo Horizonte (22C, 81% humidity, slight chance of rain in the afternoon), Cuiaba (31C, 88% humidity and clear), and Fortaleza (30C, 88% humidity, Rain early, not for game time).

There have been no major fan safety incidents reported over the past few days and most of the wrinkles that arose in the first days of the tournament have now been ironed out. That said, be aware that problems may flare up very quickly if protestors choose to march and get violent.

A reminder of previous advice: take a photo of your tickets so if they get stolen, you can show them to security and the thieves can be arrested in the stadium.

Brazil World Cup Travel Advisory: Manaus, Rio de Janeiro and Porto Alegre

MANAUS

City Description

Manaus is the capital city of the state of Amazonas in northern Brazil. It is located on the north bank of the Negro River, 18 kilometers (11 miles) from the confluence of the Negro and Solimões rivers. Due to its location in the middle of the Amazon rainforest, access to the city is primarily through boat or airplane. As of 2014, the city’s population is 1.9 million, making it the most populous in the Brazilian Amazon area and the 7^th most populous in the country.

Security

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

Transportation

International Airport

Eduardo Gomes International is the airport that serves Manaus. The airport has two passenger terminals, one for scheduled flights and the other for regional aviation. It also has three cargo terminals.

Highways

There are two federal highways that connect Manaus with the rest of the country.   There is a paved road that heads north, BR-174, and which connects Manaus to Boa Vista, the capital of the State of Roraima, and to Venezuela. The BR-319 heads south and connects Manaus to Port Velho, the state capital ofRondônia. Access to this highway however requires a ferry crossing to Careiro, across the Rio Negro and River Amazon, which take about forty minutes. BR-319 is only paved for about 100 kilometers (62 miles) to Castanho. After that, the highway is not paved and cannot be used.

The two major state highways are the AM-010 and the AM-070. The AM-010 heads east, to Itacoatiara, Amazonas at the banks of the River Amazon. The AM-070 heads south and reaches Manacapuru, which lies at the banks of the Solimoes River. Both roads are paved and operate all year round.

PORTO ALEGRE

City Description

Porto Alegre is the capital and largest city in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. Its population in 2010 was 1,509,939, making it the tenth most populous city in the country.   The city lies on the eastern bank of the Rio Guaiba, where five rivers converge to form the Lagoa dos Patos.

Security

MS Risk advises all travellers to the city of Porto Alegre to remain vigilant at all times. Watch out for robbers near the city’s Historic Centre, particularly on rua dos Andrads and near the bus station.

During the night, MS Risk advises travellers to avoid the following areas: the inside and surroundings of Farroupilha park, which is the city’s largest drug dealing spot; the Historic Centre near the UFRGS Centro university campus, particularly along rua Sarmento Leite; the southern unlit area of Marinha park and Harmonia park. Most of these places are known to be drug dealing spots and should be avoided.

Transportation

International Airport

Salgado Filho International Airport serves flights operated by major Brazilian airlines to many areas in Brazil and South America.

Metro

Porto Alegre has a metropolitan train system, known as Trensurb, which links the downtown area to cities north of the metropolitan area, including Canoas, Esteio, Sapucaia do Sul, São Leopoldo and Novo Hamburgo. Trensurb has nineteen stations, with a total extension of nearly 40 kilometers (25 miles).

Highways

There are two federal highways in the city: BR-290 and BR-116, both of which run close to the city’s northern and northwestern border.

• BR-290: Runs east-west across the state, linking the northeast coast of the state to the Uruguay-Argentina-Brazil border. It runs close to the northern border of the municipality.
• BR-116: Is a longitudinal highway which runs northeast-south across the state, linking Porto Alegre to several satellite cities and other Brazilian capitals to the north, and Pelotas and Uruguay to the south.

RIO DE JANEIRO

City Description

Rio de Janeiro, or Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, and is the 2^nd largest city of Brazil and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America. There are approximately 6.3 million people living within the city proper, making Rio de Janeiro the 6^th largest city in the Americas and the 26^th in the world.

Security

Rio de Janeiro continues to experience high incidences of crime. Tourists are particularly vulnerable to robberies and street thefts, especially in the evenings and at night, in areas adjacent to major tourist attractions. Although crime occurs throughout the year, it is more frequent during Carnival and the weeks prior, as tourists begin to arrive. It is therefor likely that the crime rates will increase during the World Cup and in the weeks prior to its start.

There have been attacks, including shootings, along the trails that lead to the Corcovado Mountain and in other parts of the Tijuca Forest.

If robbed, do not attempt to resist or fight back.   Instead you are advised to relinquish your personal belongings. At all times, MS Risk advises you to pay close attention to your surroundings and the behavior of those nearby. There have been reports of thieves and rapists slipping incapacitating drugs into drinks at barks, hotel rooms and street parties.

MS Risk advises that you choose your lodging carefully, considering the location, security and the availability of a safe to store your valuables. Do not answer your hotel room door until you positively confirm who is on the other side as there have been several incidents where mass holdups of guests have occurred at hotels and hostels in the city.

Rio de Janeiro’s favelas have become a popular tourist destination. A favela pacification programme, instituted in 2008, installed police stations in some favelas, primarily in the Zona Sul area, however most favelas continue to exist outside the control of city officials and the police. Travellers to favelas are urged to exercise caution when entering any “pacified” favelas and are advised to not travel to any favelas that have not been “pacified” by the state government. Travellers should be advised that even in some “pacified” favelas, the ability of police to provide assistance, especially at night, may be limited.

MS Risk advises all travellers to remain vigilant while on the roads, especially at night. There have been shootings and carjackings on the Linha Vermelha, which links the airport to the Southern Zone of the City.   Motorists in Rio de Janeiro should be especially vigilant at traffic lights and when stuck in traffic. Carjackings and holdups can occur at intersections, especially at night.

Incidents of crime on public transportation are frequent, and at times have involved violent crimes. When travelling by yellow taxi, you are advised to onlyuse taxis that openly display company information and phone numbers as well as red license plates. MS Risk also advises travellers to not use public vans.

Transportation

International Airport

The City of Rio de Janeiro is served by the following airports:

• Galeão-Antonio Carlos Jobim International Airport: Which is used for all international and most of the domestic flights. The airport is located 20 kilometers (12 miles) from downtown Rio.
• Santos Dumont Airport: This airport is mainly used to travel to São Paulo, with some short- and medium-haul domestic flights and general aviation. The airport is located on Guanabara Bay, which is just a few blocks from downtown Rio.
• Jacarepaguá-Roberto Marinho Airport: This airport is used by general aviation. The airport is located in the district of Baixada de Jacarepaguá, within the municipality of Rio de Janeiro approximately 30 kilometers (19 miles) from the city center.

Highways

Rio de Janeiro has roads that lead to all neighbor States. Some roads, including Via Dutra to São Paulo, and a portion of the BR-101, which covers the Rio-Niterói bridge, have been chartered to private enterprises. While the quality of the highways has greatly improved in recent years, this has resulted in a significant increase in toll fairs.

Metro

Rio de Janeiro has two subway lines with 42 kilometres (26 miles) and 32 stations, along with several commuter rail lines. The two lines serve the city seven days a week. The first line runs from General Osório in Ipanema to Uruguai Station in Tijuca while the second line runs from Botafogo, sharing ten stations with the first line, and terminates at Pavuna in northern Rio.

SuperVia connects the city of Rio de Janeiro with other locations Greater Rio de Janeiro with surface trains.

Security Update: Fifa World Cup

No big news today regarding the security of the World Cup, this is despite the media’s best efforts to blow everything out of proportion to make a good story.  The ‘storming of gates’ by Argentine fans at the Maracana in Rio turned out to be 30 people, all but one of whom were caught by the second layer of security.  There have been shortfalls in manpower, notably in Brasilia on Sunday but FIFA has been saying to show up early to avoid disappointment, this advice had not been heeded. Although it has been a slow news day, the fear of protest still remains. Here’s a short video about what the Brazilian Forces have done to prepare and what expect if the event does go sour: Telegraph Security Video

It seems my capacity to predict the weather is similar to a Russian goalkeeper’s ability to catch a ball kicked square at his chest.  (If you missed the reference watch it here).  Although I do maintain that one should be prepared for heavy rain with little warning, be prepared to get completely soaked very quickly.

Today’s games are in Rio (30C with a small chance of rain), Manaus (30C with a small chance of rain), and Porto Alegre (clear and 15C). Expect protests in Rio especially around Copacabana, where the fan village is, and as near to the Maracana stadium as they protesters can get (3-5km). One big difference between protestors and security forces is that the former don’t tend to come out in force in foul weather so if it does rain, the likelihood of protest drops significantly, probably because it’s harder to light the rag at the top of the Molotov cocktail…

Remember to keep your wits about you and get to the stadium early to account for long security queues to get in.  There is also a likelihood of a long walk to the stadium, the last time I was at The Maracana it took over 30min just to walk to the stadium from the drop off point and the security cordon has been widened since then.  Keep your valuables safe and out of sight; an expensive watch makes you a target, not the subject of admiration.

Security Incidents Reported in Brazil Over Past 24 Hours

There have been several reports of security incidents over the past 24 hours. Most notably was the attempted mugging of BBC staff near their hotel in Rio. There was no one injured and the people in question got away ‘un-mugged’ however, the BBC has put out an alert for staff.  There was the difficulty getting into the stadium for the kick off of the Switzerland v Ecuador match in Brasilia due to long cues to get through security.  FIFA had, in fact, warned fans weeks beforehand to ensure that they arrive with plenty of time to get through the checks.  It is also important to note that to achieve the security cordon around some of the stadia, some may have to walk up to 5km to the stadium.  Queues to get into games are likely to get worse after FIFA security were embarrassed on Friday by Chilean fans letting off fireworks after there victory over Australia in Cuiaba.

Several protests have been reported in host cities throughout the country but with little interference with the fans.  In Rio, protestors outside the World Cup village on Copacabana through rocks at the broadcasters and fan zone but did not have large effect.  Remember to stay away from protests as they are a magnet for crime and unsavoury characters.  There is a stark difference between a political activist and someone willing to throw a brick at a policeman’s head.  Here is a clip of the police reaction to a protest approaching the Maracanã stadium last night during the Bosnia v Argentina game: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCCGI18oz9o#t=78

 A few good tips for going to games: take a photo of your tickets so if they get stolen, the stadium police can arrest the thieves and get you your seat, the other is to download maps onto your mobile before leaving the hotel so you can follow the cab driver’s route to make sure you don’t get ripped off. Like in many places, cabbies might not know where they’re headed and won’t admit it to you so you can volunteer the directions before setting off.  Always carry a little bit of money with you just in case you do get mugged, criminals have a habit of reacting harshly to not getting anything; literally killing for nothing.

Today’s games are in Salvador, Natal, and Curitiba.  The only new location is Curitiba, which is the most advanced and efficient city in Brazil.  Good transport links and large, pedestrianized town centre make it a joy to visit.

Brazil Country Travel Advisory

Brazil – No travel restrictions

While there are currently no travel restrictions for Brazil, MS Risk advises all travellers to exercise a high degree of caution throughout the country. This is due to high crime rates and regular incidents of gang-related and other violence.

2014 World Cup

The 2014 FIFA World Cup will be held in Brazil from June 12 to July 13, 2014. Games will be played in a number of major cities across the country, including Brasília, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. If you are planning on travelling to Brazil during this period, MS Risk advises that you make your travel arrangements, including accommodation, transportation and purchase of sporting event tickets, well in advance using only genuine and reliable sources. You should note that English or French may not be readily available in Brazil.

Crimes, such as thefts, are known to increase around major sporting events in Brazil, with tourists often being the targets. MS Risk therefore advises all travellers to exercise extreme caution and to remain aware of your surroundings at all times. We advise that you use ATM’s in well-lit public areas or inside banks and avoid using them during the evening and night.

Over the past several weeks, demonstrations have occurred throughout Brazil. Further demonstrations leading up to, during and after the World Cup, may take place and may turn violent with minimal or no notice. MS Risk advises all travellers to avoid demonstrations, monitor the local developments and follow the advice of local authorities.

Emergency Services

• Fire Department: Dial 193
• Police: Dial 190
• Ambulance Services: Dial 192

In São Paulo, dial (11) 3120-4447 or (11) 3151-4167 to reach the tourist police. In Rio de Janeiro, dial (21) 2332-2924, (21) 2332-2511 or (21) 2332-5112 to reach the tourist police.

In the event of an emergency or an accident with injuries, dial 193 anywhere in Brazil. In the case of an accident without injuries, contact the military police at 190.

Civil Unrest

Risk Rating: Low – Medium Risk

Political and labour strikes and demonstrations are common throughout Brazil and could lead to violent incidents. During protests, roadblocks are sometimes used. MS Risk advises travellers to avoid large gatherings and keep informed of future demonstrations by monitoring local news reports.

Since 10 June 2013, demonstrations have been taking place throughout Brazil to protest against corruption and an increase in costs to basic services. Such demonstrations can occur anywhere and at any time. In São Paulo, protests can cause delays along the main road that leads to Guarulhos International Airport. Expect traffic and public transportation disruptions.

Crime

Risk Rating: High Risk

Crime levels throughout Brazil are high, including in most urban centres such as Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Brasília, Recife and Salvador. However violence and crime can occur anywhere and often involve firearms or other weapons. In the past, victims have either been seriously injured or killed when resisting perpetrators. MS Risk advises all travellers to remain vigilant, particularly before and during the festive and carnival periods.

Robberies involving tourists occur regularly, even during daylight hours, and can sometimes be violent. MS Risk advises travellers to avoid isolated areas and unsupervised beaches with poor visibility from the sidewalk. We also advise that you ensure your hotel or living accommodation is completely secure.

Street crime, including pickpocketing, mugging and purse snatching, is common throughout Brazil, especially during public festivities such as the annual Carnival. Tourists are particularly targeted. MS Risk advises travellers to avoid wearing expensive jewellery, watches and clothing. Do not carry large amounts of money. Keep mobile phones and cameras out of sight and leave your passport and valuables in a safe place. It is recommended that you carry another form of photo ID, such as a driving license, with you at all times. If threatened, MS Risk advises that you be ready to hand over all valuables and that you do not attempt to resist attackers as they may be armed or under the influence of drugs.

There has been an increase in robberies at ATM’s. Some ATM’s have been fitted with anti theft devices, which apply pink coloured ink to the notes of an ATM that has been damaged or tampered with. Travellers should be aware that any pink coloured note will not be accepted in the market and automatically loses its value. If you withdraw cash at an ATM and it has any sort of pink marks, you are advised to speak to the bank straight away in order to get the note changed. If this occurs outside of bank hours, or not in a bank branch, you should get a bank statement from the ATM showing the withdrawal and take it with the marked note to a police station in order to attain a police report.

Bank and credit card fraud is common in Brazil, including card cloning from ATM’s. MS Risk advises all travellers to keep sight of your card at all times and to not use an ATM if you notice anything suspicious.

Mobile phone cloning also occurs in Brazil. You are advised to take care of your handset at all times.

Kidnappings and carjacking’s occur throughout the country, particularly in larger cities. In past incidents, victims were usually picked up from the street and forced to withdraw funds from ATM’s. MS Risk therefore advises travellers to remain cautious with new acquaintances who offer friendship, hospitality or assistance.

Theft from cars is common and there have been cases of carjackings. When approaching your car, have the keys ready in order to make it easier to get into the car. When driving, keep the doors locked and windows closed and take particular care when stopping at a traffic light. In three or more lanes of traffic, consider using the middle lanes. Avoid deserted or poorly lit places. MS Risk advises all travellers to be aware of people approaching to ask for information, especially at night. The threat of personal attack is lower outside cities, however incidents can occur even at holiday destinations that appear to be relatively secure.

While rape and other sexual offences against tourists are rare, there have been attacks against both men and women, with some involving ‘date rape’ drugs. MS Risk advises travellers to purchase your own drinks and to keep them within sight at all times.

Gang-Related Violence

While police officials in Brazil have carried out crackdowns on crime throughout the country, this has led to retaliation attacks that have been carried out by criminal gangs. As a result, there is an increased chance of violence across the entire country, including in major cities. MS Risk advises travellers to remain vigilant at all times and to comply with security directives that have been imposed by local authorities.

Incidents of gang-related violence continue to pose a threat in large urban centres, where there is often a visible disparity in the levels of wealth. In the past, targets of gang-related violence have included police stations, buses, official buildings and businesses. Most tourist hubs and destinations have also been targeted. In urban centres, particularly in or near favelas, violent incidents and armed clashes have occurred between police forces and alleged criminals on a regular occurrence.

While additional security forces have been deployed throughout the country, future gang-related violence is likely to occur and could involve the use of weapons, including firearms, which are increasingly easy to obtain. MS Risk advises all travellers to exercise a high degree of caution at all time and to avoid travelling alone, especially at night.

Drug Trafficking

Drug trafficking is widespread in Brazil. If you are caught trafficking, the penalties are severe and often involve long prison sentences in a Brazilian prison. The penalties for possession of drugs for personal use range from educational classes to community service.

Road Travel

Brazil has one of the highest road accident rates in the world. This is due to aggressive driving habits, a significant number of trucks on the road, reckless passing, excessive speeds, poorly marked lanes, construction, vehicles moving in the wrong direction on one-way streets, and poorly maintained roads.

MS Risk advises all travellers to avoid driving after dark and to keep doors locked and windows closed at all times. We also advise that you be careful when stopping on the side of any highway, both for traffic and for the potential of being a victim of crime.

When driving in large cities, MS Risk advises travellers to pay attention to your surroundings while waiting at traffic lights. It is common for motorists to treat red lights as stop signs between the hours of 10 PM and 6 PM in order to protectagainst hold-ups at intersections. Most cities will have a flashing yellow light, which indicates that drivers only need to yield.

Public Transportation

Theft on buses and trams is common, especially at night. Violent incidents frequently occur in unofficial taxis, which are often present at airports. Registered taxis are clearly identified however they may look different in each city. To be safe, MS Risk advises that you purchase tickets from taxi offices at the airport’s arrival hall. In town, we advise that you use taxis from taxi stands only. Only use taxis to travel to and from airports. Local law requires the use of the taxi meter in order to determine the legal fare. Adding surcharges to a fare is illegal. Should taxi rates change, and their meters have not been adjusted, drivers may indicate these changes by showing you an authorized paper with the new rates. At night, it is safer to order a taxi by telephone then to stand on a street.