Carnival to start under army shield in violent Rio

www.alertnet.org 28 Feb 2003 18:27 By Andrei Khalip

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil, Feb 28 (Reuters) - As King Momo donned his colorful robes to kick off Rio de Janeiro's annual Carnival, troops geared up on Friday to protect the city from drug gangs in the first such operation during Carnival season.

Col. Ivan Cosme of the Eastern Military Command told reporters an unspecified number of troops from the army, navy and other units would begin on Friday to safeguard the city, where a wave of gang-related violence has claimed 10 lives.

Code-named "Operation Guanabara" after Rio's picturesque bay, it will be the first time the military is called in to police the city during the pre-Lenten Carnival -- five days of drinking and partying that has become an important symbol of the Brazilian identity.

"In principle, (the operation) should last until Ash Wednesday, but there is no fixed deadline for it to end," Cosme said. He declined to reveal any other details, saying secrecy was important "in a situation with high danger elements."

The state's Department of Security said troops and police would be placed near the famous Sambadrome, a long strip lined with viewing boxes and stands where Rio's top samba-dancing groups parade in a lavish show broadcast around the globe.

Along with loud, frolicking street processions where alcohol flows freely, the Sambadrome parades with its scantily clad beauty queens, giant floats and glittering costumes are the essence of Rio's Carnival, which lures hordes of tourists annually and is key for Rio's economy.

Hours before the fat King Momo was to receive the symbolic key to the city, police engaged in a shootout with drug gangs, shutting down a busy artery for three hours. So powerful have the drug gangs become that they are described by the media as the "parallel power" to the state.

10 DEAD SO FAR

That was just an echo of the wave of violence that staggered Rio earlier this week, sowing panic among its residents and sullying the image of the beautiful beachside city that is hoping for a record number of tourist this year.

More than 50 buses were set on fire or vandalized between Monday and Thursday and criminals set off home-made bombs and fired shots at shops that ignored their order to remain shut. Some 10 people have been killed so far in the shootouts.

Rio authorities said the gangs, which run the lucrative drugs and arms trade from slum strongholds, had ordered the violence in retaliation for tough police action against them.

But security experts said criminals may have been distracting police attention from a big shipment of drugs or weapons or flexing their muscle to demand better prison conditions for jailed kingpins.

Rio state Gov. Rosinha Matheus had asked for 3,000 troops and President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Thursday approved the request. Army units would help nearly 30,000 police mobilized by Rio authorities maintain law and order.

Rio had to call in troops twice in October last year during presidential elections, also amid fears of gang-related violence. The elections went without a hitch.

Despite some hotel cancellations mainly by Brazilians, Rio tourism authorities expect a trouble-free Carnival given all the precautions. They expect a record 388,000 visitors, including 40,000 from abroad.

City folklore has it that Rio's residents set aside their conflicts and bandits swap their guns for drums during Carnival.