Final Blocos Continue Amid Trash Strike in Rio: Daily

By Michela DellaMonica, Contributing Reporter

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL — The city of Rio officials confirmed Friday evening that all fifteen blocos scheduled for this weekend will go on despite the street sweeper strike which caused a crisis in garbage collection throughout the city during Carnival last weekend.

In a press conference, the Special Secretary for Tourism, Antonio Pedro Figueira de Mello, said some of the events that are sponsored by the city such as Mulheres de Chico, Bafafá and the popular Monobloco, have outsourced staff for cleanup and removal of garbage.

City Hall officials have also asked bloco organizers for extra help in this matter, and the response was immediate.

Maria Clara Ferreira, manager of Monobloco, requested the collaboration of the public to not throw trash on the ground as well as arming the 300 people working the bloco with trash bags and brooms to help after the festivities. “It’s an awareness campaign, let’s get our hands dirty,” Ferreira said.

In Zona Sul (South Zone), the main attractions are the Mulheres de Chico in Leme beginning at 4PM, and Bafafá in Ipanema beginning at 5PM. The infamous Monobloco will close out Carnival 2014 with a show this Sunday, March 10th at 9AM on Avenida Rio Branco in Centro.

With heavy rains Friday night flooding parts of the city, Saturday’s forecast is predicted to have scattered rain and thunderstorms for parts of the day. With the ongoing street sweeper strike, the piles of trash in the streets, especially in Zona Norte (North Zone) of the city, is blocking the water flow causing flooding.

Read more (in Portuguese).

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