Rio Carnival May Receive R$ 13 Million From Brazilian Government

07/26/2017 - 09h26

Brazil's president, Michel Temer, indicated that R$ 13 million (US$ 4.1 million) could be injected into 2018 Rio de Janeiro's Carnival, on Tuesday (the 25th).

The president accepted the requests from Rio's samba schools at a meeting with their representatives. The schools complain about cutbacks in funding imposed by the municipal government of Rio.

At the meeting, the president requested minister Sérgio Sá Leitão (Culture) and minister Marx Beltrão (Tourism) to conduct the matter.

The idea is to make funds available by means of sponsorship from state-owned companies, culture incentive laws or budgetary resources allocated to both ministries.

The minister of Culture stated the ministry will "do everything it can" to help samba schools. He asserted, however, a funding model is yet to be defined.

"The Brazilian government acknowledges the importance of carnival and we will do everything we can to make it even greater in 2018, as well as to help it boost Brazilian economy," he said.

A new work group will be created to study how to support the schools - whether by means of direct budgetary funds, tax incentives or otherwise - according to the decision reached at a meeting with the new minister of Culture and representatives of samba schools such as Mangueira, Beija-Flor and Portela, on Tuesday (the 25th) afternoon.

Translated by ANA BEATRIZ DEMARIA

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	Ricardo Moraes/Reuters
	Revellers from Portela samba school perform during the second night of the carnival parade at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil