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Protests in Brazil
Should they change your travel plans?
By Rochelle Broder-Singer, with reporting from Latin Business Chronicle
In recent weeks, more than a quarter-million people have taken to the streets in Brazil's largest cities, staging the kinds of demonstrations that the country hasn't seen since 1985. Street demonstrations in Rio de Janeiro have attracted as many as 100,000 people, and those in São Paulo have attracted upwards of 65,000. Brasilia, Recife, Belo Horizonte, Curitiba, Porto Alegre, Fortaleza, Salvador, Manaus and other cities have seen smaller-scale street marches.
The protests are expected to continue during the coming weeks, and there have also been calls on social media for a series of strikes around the country.
Thierry Guillot, general manager of the Grand Hyatt São Paulo, describes the protests as, overall "a huge popular movement with peaceful intentions." But that doesn't mean they haven't been disruptive in some cities, and there have been a few violent incidents at the generally peaceful gatherings.
Advice for Visitors Some businesses and foreign government agencies have found their opening hours disrupted by the protests. Cities that don't generally experience bad traffic are reporting traffic disruptions, and public transportation has been heavily affected. "Travelers should be aware of the areas where protests are being organized and avoid those as traffic can get even more jammed," Guillot says. "Our recommendation for our guests is to be mindful and plan on additional time to avoid being delayed or unable to get to places." Because the protests have been organized quite publicly - via social media and other channels - the police are generally out in force even before they begin. In São Paulo, Guillot notes, it's difficult to say whether the normally very heavy traffic is any worse because of the protests. He says guests at the Grand Hyatt have been only lightly affected, and have been conducting their meetings as usual. Safety of visitors to Brazil remains unaffected. The U.S. State Department has not issued any Travel Alerts for that nation, and there are no indications that it plans to or needs to. The U.S. Embassy in Brazil and the United Kingdom government both advise avoiding protests and areas where large gatherings may occur, and monitoring local news reports for up-to-date information. "The overall intention is to maintain the peaceful mode, but as with any protest with a large number of people, some isolated violence could occur," Guillot says. "Visitors should seek information from the hotels they are staying at." What Prompted the Protests? The protests began over a planned increase in bus fare in São Paulo, but have morphed into broader dissatisfaction with the "inefficiencies and deficiencies" of Brazil, says Marcos Troyjo, director of Columbia University's BRICLab. Troyjo says the protests reflect a sector of the population that is increasingly frustrated that the country is "neither generating the necessary prosperity or efficiencies in education or health." There's also been public outrage over the huge cost of hosting the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. "There's a social perception that those resources could have been better invested in areas where Brazil has clear needs like health and education," Troyjo explains. Troyjo says the protests could have a major influence on the country's October 2014 presidential elections, possibly posing challenge for President Dilma Rousseff in what has until now been considered her "guaranteed" reelection. Read more about the protests at Latin Business Chronicle (subscription required). Photo: Tânia Rêgo-ABr (Agencia Brasil)
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American Airlines now allows AAdvantage program members with affiliated credit cards to book one-way awards travel at discounted prices. AAdvantage already offered discounts for round-trip awards travel.
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