Twelve people were injured when a float collapsed in Rio de Janeiro’s Sambadrome, the venue where the samba schools hold their annual carnival parade.
On February 28, a walkway on top of the float on which dancers were standing toppled, sending them tumbling.
The incident came a day after twenty people were injured at the Sambadrome when a float crushed them against a fence.
Police are investigating both incidents.
Image source Wikimedia
The float represented Bourbon Street in New Orleans and members of the samba school were dancing on walkways made to look like balconies when the upper walkway gave way.
The parade was halted for 25 minutes as the emergency services took the injured to hospital.
The float belonged to Unidos da Tijuca samba school.
The school’s director, Aiton Freitas, said he did not know what had gone wrong.
Aiton Freitas said the float had been tested three times a week with more weight than it was carrying during the parade.
He told journalists: “We are even more shocked than you all are.
“I don’t know what is happening, but Rio’s Carnival is not being blessed this year.”
Brazilian police have found a body inside a burnt-out car that had been rented by the Greek ambassador to Brazil, Kyriakos Amiridis.
The car was discovered near Rio de Janeiro.
Kyriakos Amiridis, 59, went missing three days ago after travelling to Rio de Janeiro from Brasilia for the traditional New Year celebrations on Copacabana beach.
The Greek ambassador was last seen on December 26 in the city of Nova Iguacu on the outskirts of Rio, where the car was found.
Forensic experts are carrying out tests to establish the body’s identity.
Image source India.com
Kyriakos Amiridis’s car was discovered under a flyover on one of the main access roads to Rio.
The ambassador had phoned his wife from a flat in Nova Iguacu on December 26 saying he was about to go out. He has not been heard from since.
Police say it is unlikely that Kyriakos Amiridis was kidnapped, as no ransom has been sought.
Rio de Janeiro has a high crime rate and violent incidents are not unusual, especially in the busy season between Christmas and New Year, when hundreds of thousands of tourists travel to the city.
The US Olympic Committee (USOC) has issued an apology for what it called the unacceptable behavior of four swimmers who falsely said they had been robbed at gunpoint in Rio de Janeiro.
Brazilian police questioned three of the gold medal winners and say “they were not victims of the crimes they claimed”.
Two of the four – Gunnar Bentz and Jack Conger – were allowed to fly out of Rio on August 18.
Ryan Lochte had already left, and James Feigen remains in Brazil.
Gunnar Bentz and Jack Conger had been taken off a plane at Rio airport on August 17 and taken for questioning.
Ryan Lochte had initially said the four were robbed at gunpoint when they were returning by cab from a club.
However, Rio’s civil police head Fernando Veloso said the four Olympic gold medalists had not been robbed.
“No robbery was committed against these athletes. They were not victims of the crimes they claimed,” he said.
Photo Wikipedia
Fernando Velosi told reporters that one or more of the swimmers had instead vandalized a toilet in a petrol station and then offered to pay for the damage.
The athletes paid and left after armed security guards intervened, he said.
One guard had justifiably drawn his gun after one of the Americans began behaving erratically, Fernando Veloso added.
He warned that the medalists, who had repeatedly changed their accounts of what happened, could “in theory” face charges of giving false testimony and vandalism.
However, on August 18, the swimmers’ lawyer Sergio Riera said Gunnar Bentz and Jack Conger had been allowed to leave Brazil by a special Olympic court.
“They are on their way to the airport,” Sergio Riera said.
However, James Feigen remains in Brazil.
James Feigen “provided a revised statement this evening [August 18] with the hope of securing the release of his passport as soon as possible,” said the USOC.
The USOC statement confirmed the version of events given by Fernando Veloso, and added that “the behavior of these athletes is not acceptable, nor does it represent the values of Team USA”.
Earlier, Rio 2016 spokesman Mario Andrada had tried to make light of the case saying: “These kids tried to have fun, they tried to represent their country to the best of their abilities.
“They competed under gigantic pressure. Let’s give these kids a break. Sometime you take actions that you later regret.
“They had fun, they made a mistake, life goes on.”
Brazil’s three most populous states are experiencing their worst drought since 1930, Environment Minister Izabella Teixeira has said.
The states of Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais must save water, Izabella Teixeira said after an emergency meeting in the capital Brasilia.
Izabella Teixeira described the water crisis as “delicate” and “worrying”.
Industry and agriculture are expected to be affected, further damaging Brazil’s troubled economy.
The drought is also having an impact on energy supplies, with reduced generation from hydroelectric dams.
Brazil is supposed to be in the middle of its rainy season but there has been scant rainfall in the south-east and the drought shows no sign of abating.
The crisis comes at a time of high demand for energy, with soaring temperatures in the summer months.
“Since records for Brazil’s south-eastern region began 84 years ago, we have never seen such a delicate and worrying situation,” said Izabella Teixeira.
Her comments came at the end of a meeting with five other ministers at the presidential palace in Brasilia to discuss the drought.
The crisis began in Sao Paulo, where hundreds of thousands of residents have been affected by frequent cuts in water supplies, our correspondent says.
The city’s Cantareira reservoir system, which serves over eight million people, has now dropped to 5.2% of its capacity despite recent rain, Brazil’s TV Globo reported.
Accumulated rainfall in the area of Cantareira is said to be only 33.5% of that predicted for the month, Globo’s G1 news site added.
Sao Paulo state suffered similar serious drought problems last year.
Governor Geraldo Alckmin has taken several measures, such as raising charges for high consumption levels, offering discounts to those who reduce use, and limiting the amounts captured by industries and agriculture from rivers.
Critics blame poor planning and politics for the worsening situation.
Political opponents say the state authorities failed to respond quickly enough to the crisis because Geraldo Alckmin did not want to alarm people as he was seeking re-election in October 2014, allegations he disputes.
In Rio de Janeiro state, the main water reservoir has dropped to level zero for the first time since it was built.
Environment Secretary Andre Correa acknowledged that the state was experiencing “the worst water crisis in its history”.
However, he said there was enough water in other reservoirs to avoid rationing in Rio de Janeiro for at least another six months.
Andre Correa described the situation in Sao Paulo as “infinitely worse”.
Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais are asking residents and industries to reduce water consumption by as much as 30%.
Thousands of protesters in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro who marched against the cost of hosting the football World Cup in Brazil have been dispersed by riot police firing tear gas.
Some demonstrators hurled stones while other burned tyres and blocked roads.
They say they are angry that billions of dollars are being spent on next month’s football tournament, rather than social projects and housing.
Protests also took place in many other cities, including the capital Brasilia.
Teachers and civil servants, among others, were also on strike across Brazil.
Thousands of protesters in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro marched against the cost of hosting the football World Cup in Brazil (photo Reuters)
In Rio, aerial images showed hundreds of people marching in rush-hour traffic on a main thoroughfare. The city will host the final match of the World Cup on July 13.
Protesters there and in Sao Paulo, Brazil’s biggest city, clashed with police before beginning to disperse.
The number of people on the streets was much lower than during similar protests last year.
Some of those taking part, however, promised the demonstrations would get bigger and more frequent as the World Cup gets closer.
Last June, more than a million people took to the street over poor public services, corruption and the high cost of hosting the World Cup.
The tournament is due to kick off on June 12.
The demonstrations began earlier in the day in Sao Paulo, with one of the biggest protests in the city’s Itaquera district near the Arena Corinthians stadium, which will host the tournament’s opening match.
Protesters there demanded housing, and not stadiums, be built in accordance with FIFA standards, in reference to world football’s governing body.
“Our goal is symbolic,” said Guilherme Boulos, the head of Homeless Workers Movement.
“We don’t want to destroy or damage the stadium. What we want is more rights for workers to have access to housing and to show the effects the Cup has brought to the poor.”
The government has tried to downplay the scale of Thursday’s unrest, arguing it was not related to the World Cup.
“From what I’ve seen, these are specific claims by workers. I’ve seen nothing that is related to the [World] Cup,” Brazilian Sports Minister Aldo Rebelo said.
“There’s no reason to panic ahead of receiving three million Brazilian tourists and 600,000 foreign tourists [for the tournament].”
The planned protests coincide with a range of strikes, including one by the police force in the north-eastern state of Pernambuco.
The army was deployed there to provide additional support after some robberies and looting, before the strike ended on its third day.
Local media reported that, in the last 24 hours alone, 234 people were arrested. Recife, the state capital, is due to host five matches during the World Cup.
Police and protesters clashed in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro following the death of a young man allegedly beaten by police.
Violent protests broke out in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday after the body of a 25-year-old man, Douglas Rafael da Silva Pereira, was found in the Pavao-Pavaozinho favela near the Copacabana beach.
Douglas Rafael da Silva Pereira regularly appeared on Brazil’s largest TV network, Globo.
Main streets through the tourist area of Copacabana were closed as angry demonstrators from a nearby favela set barricades of tires alight.
The unrest started after a dancer was killed by police who reportedly mistook him for a drug trafficker.
It comes less than two months before Brazil hosts the football World Cup.
Police and protesters clashed in Rio de Janeiro following the death of Douglas Rafael da Silva Pereira (photo Reuters)
One man was shot dead during the violence on Tuesday night, local media quoted officials as saying. A 12-year-old boy was also reportedly wounded.
Witnesses said cars were set ablaze, a police station was attacked and gunfire could be heard from the Pavao-Pavaozinho favela.
Douglas Rafael da Silva, a professional dancer, was reportedly found dead inside a school earlier on Tuesday.
According to his family, his body was covered in wounds and they accused local police of beating him to death after mistaking him for a member of a local drugs gang.
The circumstances surrounding his death are under investigation, AFP news agency quoted police as saying.
“An on-site report indicates Douglas’s injuries are compatible with a death caused by a fall,” the police statement said.
Amnesty International says some 2,000 people die every year in Brazil due to police violence.
Huge crowds, demanding an explanation for the death, gathered near the entrance to the favela, which is just a few streets away from Rio’s famous beaches and tourist hot-spots.
Pavao-Pavaozinho is one of several Rio favelas or slums that have been part of the recent “pacification” program.
It is an attempt by the city authorities to drive the heavily armed drugs gangs away from the communities and to restore some peace and police authority ahead of the football World Cup in June and July.
World Cup 2014 will begin in Sao Paulo on June 12 and will end with the final in Rio’s famous Maracana stadium on July 13.
Rio de Janeiro’s iconic Christ the Redeemer (Cristo Redentor) statue has been damaged by a lightning strike.
The thumb on the right hand of the 125ft-statue was hit during a storm on Thursday night, officials said.
Officials from the Archdiocese of Rio, which manages the statue, told Brazilian media that repairs will be made to the statue soon.
Christ the Redeemer statue is visited by nearly two million people ever year.
Rio de Janeiro’s iconic Christ the Redeemer statue has been damaged by a lightning strike
In 2010, the statue underwent a $4 million restoration.
Thursday’s storm had one of the highest numbers of lightning strikes recorded in Brazil since the country began monitoring storms in 1999.
The National Institute for Space Research (INPE) told O Globo that the statue is struck by lightning on average between three and five times a year.
Christ the Redeemer was inaugurated on October 12, 1931, on top of Rio’s Mt Corcovado and is considered the largest Art Deco-style sculpture in the world.
Justin Bieber was charged with vandalism on November 8 for after his highly-publicized graffiti session that took place three days before.
The global pop sensation’s rep had no comment.
Police received a complaint about Justin Bieber, 19, and his friends spray painting the wall of the former Hotel Nacional in Rio de Janeiro on November 5.
Justin Bieber, who was in Rio de Janeiro for a concert, reportedly had left the property by the time authorities arrived. Later that day, Brazil’s biggest news outlet posted photos on its website of Justin Bieber, in artistic action.
Justin Bieber spray painting the wall of the former Hotel Nacional in Rio de Janeiro
In Brazil, defacing buildings is a crime that could lead to a fine and up to one year in jail.
Local authorities then opened an investigation involving three days of testimony from the photographers who caught him painting, officers and even Justin Bieber’s security personnel.
However, the singer will avoid time behind bars.He will pay a fine, although that cost has yet to be determined.
This is not Justin Bieber’s first run-in with local authorities over his penchant for spray-painting. While in Bogota last week, the singer spray-painted a wall lining one of the Colombian city’s biggest streets, and was escorted into a police car by officers. Overall, the South American leg of Justin Bieber’s Believe tour has been rife with controversy.
Justin Bieber is set to perform in Buenos Aires on November 9-10.
Justin Bieber has been charged in Brazil with illegally spraying graffiti in Rio de Janeiro.
Justin Bieber, 19, could be fined after pictures appeared in local media to show him painting a wall.
Defacing buildings is a crime in Brazil punishable by up to one year in jail or a fine.
However, Brazilian officials described the case involving Justin Bieber as “a minor offence”. There was no immediate comment from his management team.
In a statement, Brazil’s civil police force said Justin Bieber had been charged with “defacing a building or urban monument by graffiti or other means”.
Brazilian media reported and published photos appearing to show Justin Bieber spraying graffiti on the wall of the abandoned Hotel Nacional.
The pictures showed the singer wearing a red cap and army pants – with a security guard on one side, a police car parked on the other.
It emerged that Justin Bieber had authorization from the City Hall to paint at a sports facility nearby, but members of his entourage claim he chose a different location to avoid his fans.
Police argued the consent did not extend to any other places.
According to the Globo TV network, Justin Bieber flew out of Brazil on Wednesday afternoon on a private jet and went to Paraguay, where he was scheduled to perform.
Riot police and protesters have clashed in Brazil’s largest cities – Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo – after marches in support of striking teachers.
Soon after a peaceful march by more than 5,000 people ended in Rio, a much smaller masked group attacked shops, set fire to a police car and threw petrol bombs.
There were also clashes in Sao Paulo, where shops were ransacked.
Police responded with tear and pepper gas and detained dozens of people.
Four officers were injured and seven banks were vandalized during the unrest in Sao Paulo, according to Reuters news agency.
Extra police had been deployed in Rio de Janeiro for the huge protest coinciding with Teacher’s Day, on which the country recognizes the profession.
Many shops and banks had boarded up their windows after last week’s larger protests, which had gathered more than 10,000 supporters.
Police also cordoned off the Rio house of representatives, which was targeted last week.
Teachers in Rio are demanding better working conditions and salaries and have the support of colleagues in other cities
After the end of Tuesday’s march, masked protesters from the so-called Black Bloc anarchist group set fire to the boards, as well as public telephones, rubbish bags and other street furniture.
Metal boards were also taken by some groups and used as shields to confront the police.
A police car was set alight and protest slogans written on walls.
Teachers in Rio are demanding better working conditions and salaries and have the support of colleagues in other cities.
They have been on strike for two months and many complained that Rio’s state government had started procedures to sanction the striking teachers.
On Tuesday night, a Supreme Court judge said it considered the government’s actions illegal.
Judge Luiz Fux told Brazil’s state news agency, Agencia Brasil, that the sanctions infringed, “even if in a roundabout way, the civil servants’ right to freedom of expressions through strike”.
Luiz Fux also summoned union leaders and government officials for talks on October 22.
In an earlier demonstration on Tuesday, a group of homeless people tried to break into the house of representatives of Sao Paulo.
Police held off the crowd, and a small group later met with government officials.
In the south-eastern city of Belo Horizonte, a peaceful protest was held a central square.
Smaller groups also gathered on Tuesday in Brasilia, the north-eastern city of Salvador and other cities.
Brazil’s security situation is a challenge to cities that will play host to the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games.
Crowds of people supporting teachers’ demand for a better pay have clashed with riot police in the Brazilian cities of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo .
The centre of Rio was packed with more than 10,000 people marching peacefully.
But as it got dark, some protesters threw firebombs at public buildings and riot police responded with tear gas.
A similar protest in Sao Paulo also ended in violent confrontation with police after many banks were ransacked by hooded protesters.
Brazil’s security situation is a challenge to cities that will play host to the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games.
Protesters demonstrating in support of teachers receiving better pay in the Brazilian cities of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo have clashed with police
The latest demonstration took place over several hours and was peaceful at first.
But once night fell, violent incidents broke out as at least 20 “black bloc” anarchists smashed a City Hall gate while others broke into banks and tried to break into ATMs. Some banks were set alight.
Demonstrators also torched a bus on busy Rio Branco Avenue, and took furniture out of banks to use in barricades as the stand-off off with police continued.
Authorities used tear gas to restore order.
“Without the police, there is no violence. When they are there, there always is,” said anarchist Hugo Cryois, 23, who had a gas mask dangling from his neck.
“I came prepared,” he said.
“You can’t trust them.”
Teachers have been demanding a pay increase for two months. About 50,000 people were estimated to have marched to support them before the violence broke out, but police would only confirm the 10,000 estimate.
Pope Francis has closed World Youth Day festival in Rio de Janeiro with a Mass on Copacabana beach.
More than three million people are estimated to have gathered for the service in the city of Rio de Janeiro.
Many of the pilgrims had slept on the beach after attending an all-night vigil, which Pope Francis also led.
Sunday’s ceremony marks the end of the Pope’s five-day visit to Brazil – his first foreign trip since becoming pontiff in March.
Pope Francis is set to fly back to Rome later on Sunday.
Correspondents say almost every inch of the two-and-a-half mile long beach was occupied ahead of the Mass, as most of the young people stayed after the vigil, pitching tents or sleeping in the open.
The vigil and Sunday mass have attracted the biggest crowd ever to Copacabana beach, which has hosted rock concerts, sports events and the traditional New Year celebrations.
Pope Francis encouraged young Catholics to get out of their parochial boundaries in order to help others.
“Go and don’t be afraid of serving,” he said.
More than three million people are estimated to have gathered for Pope Francis’ final service in the city of Rio de Janeiro
“Jesus did not gather the Apostles so they lived in isolation. He called them so they formed a group, a community,” said Pope Francis.
Pope Francis announced the next Catholic youth festival would be held in the Polish city of Krakow in 2016.
Female activists held a demonstration nearby in support of abortion and women’s rights.
In the past three decades, the Catholic church has lost millions of followers to smaller Christian denominations.
In his vigil address on Saturday, the pontiff had urged the pilgrims not to be “part-time Christians”, but to lead full, meaningful lives.
Speaking on a huge stage at the beach where a mock church structure was built, Pope Francis referred to the street protests which have been taking place in Brazil for more than a month.
“The young people in the street are the ones who want to be actors of change. Please don’t let others be actors of change,” he told the crowd at the vigil.
“Keep overcoming apathy and offering a Christian response to the social and political concerns taking place in different parts of the world.”
Also on Saturday, the Pope repeated his challenge to fellow Roman Catholic clerics to take to the streets.
Crowds of Roman Catholic pilgrims in Rio de Janeiro have joined Pope Francis for a re-enactment of Jesus carrying the cross to his crucifixion.
The Stations of the Cross march comes on the Pope’s fifth day in Brazil for World Youth Day – a weeklong event for more than a million young Christians.
Pope Francis spoke about the lack of faith in political institutions perceived as selfish and corrupt by young people.
A planned field vigil outside Rio de Janeiro was moved to the city because of rain.
Young Catholics played drums on Copacabana beach as they waited for the Pope. People from all over the world travelled to Brazil for the pontiff’s visit.
“Jesus is united with so many young people who have lost faith in political institutions, because they see in them only selfishness and corruption,” Pope Francis said.
Protests, sometimes violent, broke out in cities across Brazil last month against corruption, poor public services and the high cost of events like the 2014 World Cup.
Pope Francis, 76, also expressed understanding for Christians who had lost faith in the church because of what he called the “incoherence of Christians and ministers of the gospel”.
The Roman Catholic Church has been rocked by scandals over abuse by priests.
Crowds of Roman Catholic pilgrims in Rio de Janeiro have joined Pope Francis for a re-enactment of Jesus carrying the cross to his crucifixion
A pilgrim described the Pope as “very clever” and “very humble” with “a lot” of personality.
“It’s what our religion… our church is needing right now,” she said.
Shortly after Pope Francis finished speaking, police held a group of protesters who tried to invade the stage. They were demonstrating against the state governor of Rio, Sergio Cabral.
In Brazil’s largest city, Sao Paulo, some 300 demonstrators attacked several bank branches and at least one police post in protest against the state governor there.
Police said at least eight bank branches were attacked, and for a time several of Sao Paulo’s main avenues were blocked.
Tear gas was used to disperse the protesters.
Earlier, Latin America’s first pontiff met a group of prisoners in a palace of the Rio archdiocese.
Pope Francis then emerged on a balcony to address the crowd, urging them to cherish the elderly on Grandparents’ Day.
“How important grandparents are for family life, for passing on the human and religious heritage which is so essential for each and every society,” he said.
Pope Francis then went to a park where he heard three Brazilians, a Venezuelan and an Italian confess their sins.
Brazil is the world’s biggest Roman Catholic country, despite the growing popularity of Pentecostal Christianity in the country.
Pope Francis has met thousands of pilgrims at Copacabana beach, in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro, to hold the greeting ceremony for World Youth Day.
After arriving by helicopter, Pope Francis drove along the 2.5 miles of the beach, stopping many times to greet the crowd.
An estimated 1 million pilgrims attended the event, following a papal visit to a shanty town, or favela.
Meanwhile, bad weather has forced this weekend’s events to be moved from a drenched farm on the outskirts of Rio.
A site set up at a farm on the western outskirts of the city for Saturday’s vigil and Sunday’s service, where up to 2 million people are expected, was covered with mud and puddles after two days of relentless rain.
The authorities have announced that these events will now also take place at Copacabana beach.
Hours before Pope Francis arrived at Copacabana on Thursday, young pilgrims started gathering along the beach.
“I’ve always heard that Cariocas [Rio-born people] did not like the cold or the rain. But you are showing your faith is stronger. Well done!” Pope Francis joked with the crowd at the start of his address.
Groups resembling Olympic delegation were holding up the flags of their countries and many were carrying the distinct World Youth Day backpacks in yellow, green or blue, the colors of the host-country’s flag.
Pope Francis has met thousands of pilgrims at Copacabana beach to hold the greeting ceremony for World Youth Day
Big screens were set up on the sand and the rain stopped before the event.
On the fourth day of his visit to Brazil, the first international trip of his papacy, Pope Francis also addressed Argentine faithful in Rio’s cathedral.
During the event, the pontiff told pilgrims to take to the streets and “stir things up”.
“I expect a messy World Youth Day. But I want things messy and stirred up in the congregations, I want you to take to the streets. I want the Church to take to the streets,” the Argentine-born pope told the crowd.
Before the meeting with his fellow countrymen, Pope Francis blessed the new altar at a tiny church and hugged and kissed locals who crowded the Varginha community streets.
Security was tight in the shanty town, which is part of the larger Manguinhos favela, one of the many hillside shanty towns which surround Rio.
Helicopters and sharpshooters were on patrol as Pope Francis visited the area while school children waved flags and held up balloons.
The Brazilian government has made the “pacification” of these communities, once a byword for poverty, crime and drugs, one of its priorities.
Heavily-armed police have moved into some of the more lawless favelas, including Varginha, to “flush out” the criminals and drug dealers who controlled large swathes of these communities.
According to official estimates, more than 20% of the population of the city live in favelas.
Pope Francis, who has called for a “Church of the poor” and who during his time as Archbishop of Buenos Aires regularly visited some of the poorest areas of that city, specifically asked for a favela to be included in his schedule.
Locals say the government’s policy of sending large numbers of police to the area has gone some way towards calming the area, but not enough.
The visit comes just a day after Pope Francis said it was key to tackle the roots of drug abuse rather than consider legalizing them.
At a Mass at the shrine of Aparecida, the Pope also warned tens of thousands of faithful against the “passing idols” of money, power and pleasure.
Pope Francis has warned against drug legalization plans in Latin America during the inauguration of a clinic for drug addicts in Rio de Janeiro.
The roots of drug abuse should be tackled, he said on the third day of his visit to Brazil.
Uruguay is close to allowing the legal sale of marijuana, with other countries pondering similar liberalization.
Earlier, the Argentine-born pontiff celebrated the first Mass of his trip, at the Shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida.
He warned tens of thousands of faithful against the “passing idols” of money, power and pleasure.
After the visit to Aparecida, in the Brazilian state of Sao Paulo, the pope flew back to Rio de Janeiro.
At the inauguration of a drug rehabilitation clinic at the Sao Francisco hospital, he hugged former addicts and heard their stories.
Pope Francis has warned against drug legalization plans in Latin America during the inauguration of a clinic for drug addicts in Rio de Janeiro
“It is necessary to tackle the problems which are at the root of drug abuse, promoting more justice, educating the youth with the values that live in society, standing by those who face hardship and giving them hope for the future,” Pope Francis said.
Pope Francis also warned against plans to legalize drugs in Latin America and condemned drug-traffickers.
“How many dealers of death there are that follow the logic of power and money at any cost! The scourge of drug-trafficking, that favors violence and sows the seeds of suffering and death, requires of society as a whole an act of courage,” he said.
Leaders in Colombia, Bolivia, Ecuador and others have spoken for softer stances on drugs policy.
In Uruguay, a project decriminalizing marijuana sale is set to be voted in Congress next week.
President Jose Mujica says its main goal is combating drug trafficking.
On Monday Pope Francis faced chaotic scenes as he arrived in Rio de Janeiro.
The pontiff is in Brazil to attend the Roman Catholic World Youth Day festival. It is his first trip abroad since becoming head of the Catholic Church in March.
The highlight of the five-day festival will be a prayer service on Rio’s iconic Copacabana Beach on Thursday.
Pope Francis has arrived at the Shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida in the Brazilian state of Sao Paulo to hold the first Mass of his trip to Latin America.
The pontiff traveled to the Shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida by plane and helicopter.
On Monday Pope Francis faced chaotic scenes when crowds mobbed his car as he arrived in the city of Rio de Janeiro.
He is in Brazil to attend the Roman Catholic World Youth Day festival. It is his first trip abroad since becoming head of the Catholic Church in March.
The highlight of the five-day festival will be a prayer service led by Pope Francis on Rio’s iconic Copacabana Beach on Thursday.
The pontiff’s visit is taking place under tight security, after weeks of protests against the government and corruption.
Thousands of pilgrims arrived in the rural town of Aparecida ahead of Wednesday’s Mass, scheduled to take place at 10:30 local time at the basilica holding the shrine.
A homemade explosive device was discovered there on Sunday, but authorities said it was “of low power” and not near the area where the Pope and pilgrims will visit.
Pope Francis has arrived at the Shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida in the Brazilian state of Sao Paulo to hold the first Mass of his trip to Latin America
The Vatican later insisted that the discovery was no cause for concern.
Pope Francis is expected to fly back to Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday afternoon to visit a hospital and address young people taking part in a drug rehabilitation program.
On Tuesday, around 400,000 Roman Catholics joined a ceremony on Copacabana Beach to mark the opening of World Youth Day.
There was transport chaos shortly before the event when the Rio metro system was brought to a standstill for two hours by a power cut.
Crowds of people hoping to attend the Mass were left stranded, while others crammed onto buses and taxis heading to the beach.
Travel chaos also ensued on Monday when the pontiff’s car became stuck in one of Rio’s infamous traffic jams, after his driver reportedly took the wrong turn and missed lanes that had been cleared by the security services.
Correspondents said Brazil was reviewing security around the pontiff following the incident.
Pope Francis, who is from neighboring Argentina, was officially welcomed at the state governor’s palace by Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff on Monday.
However, police later fired tear gas to disperse people who were demonstrating outside. They were protesting against the government and also against the cost of the papal visit.
More than a million young Catholics are expected to gather in Rio for World Youth Day, which takes place every two years, and is a celebration of the Catholic faith.
Some 30,000 army and police are on duty throughout the Pope’s visit.
Pope Francis has been greeted by tens of thousands of Brazilian pilgrims as he toured Rio de Janeiro in an open car and then met President Dilma Rousseff at the state governor’s palace.
After the pontiff left, police fired tear gas to disperse protests against both the government and the cost of the visit.
Pope Francis is in Brazil to attend the Roman Catholic World Youth Day festival.
In a speech soon after his arrival, the Pope urged young Catholics to “make disciples of all nations”.
“I came to meet young people coming from all over the world, drawn to the open arms of Christ the Redeemer,” he said at the governor’s palace, referring to Rio’s famous vast statue of Jesus.
“They want to find a refuge in his embrace, right near his heart to hear his call clearly and powerfully.”
About an hour after the welcoming ceremony, police fired stun grenades and tear gas against the demonstrators outside the palace.
It was the latest rally against what the protesters described as endemic government corruption across the country.
But some were also unhappy about $53 million in public fund being spent for the pontiff’s visit.
There was little damage and few arrests, but it was a reminder that there is still a real possibility the pontiff’s high-profile visit to a huge Catholic festival in Rio could be overshadowed by political events.
Crowds mobbed Pope Francis’ car in Rio de Janeiro as it made its way from the airport
In a separate development, the military said a homemade explosive device had been discovered at a shrine between Rio and Sao Paulo that the Pope is due to visit on Wednesday.
The device at the Shrine of Our Lady of the Conception of Aparecida was described as being “of low power” and was destroyed.
As Pope Francis disembarked from the Alitalia plane in Rio’s airport earlier on Monday, he was welcomed by President Dilma Rousseff to cheers and applause from the waiting crowd. A choir sang an anthem linked to Youth Day and he was presented with a bouquet of flowers.
The Pope waved before being taken by motorcade to the centre of Rio, where thousands of pilgrims have gathered.
Pope Francis looked relaxed and jovial as he was driven into Rio de Janeiro in a modest family car, with the window wound down and security officials struggling to keep back the crowds.
There were chaotic scenes as his car became stuck in one of the city’s infamous traffic jams, after the pope’s driver reportedly took the wrong turn and missed lanes that had been cleared by the security services.
Crowds immediately gathered round the vehicle hoping to catch a glimpse or touch Pope Francis. One woman passed her baby through the window for a kiss from the Holy Father.
Once in the city centre, the Pope switched to an open-air Popemobile, waving at the tens of thousands who lined the streets he travelled through.
The authorities have increased security during the Pope’s seven-day visit, following weeks of nationwide protests against corruption and bad governance.
Pope Francis refused to use an armored Popemobile, despite requests from Brazilian officials. Some 30,000 security staff – army and police are on duty throughout his visit.
More than a million young Catholics are expected to gather in Rio for World Youth Day, which takes place every two years, and is a celebration of the Catholic faith.
The Argentina-born Pope – who became head of the Catholic Church in March – is due to lead a prayer service on Copacabana beach on Thursday. He will also visit one of Rio’s shanty towns.
Speaking to reporters on his flight from Rome, the Pope said young people were “at this moment are in crisis,” in an apparent reference to the continuing economic crisis across Europe.
“We run the risk of having a generation that hasn’t worked,” he said, even though work confers dignity.
Pope Francis also criticized what he said was a “culture” of socially rejecting the elderly who were “thrown away” as if they had nothing to offer.
Pope Francis has arrived in Rio de Janeiro on his first trip abroad since becoming head of the Catholic Church in March.
The first Latin American Pope touched down at Rio de Janeiro airport on Monday afternoon and was greeted by Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff.
The Argentina-born pontiff has travelled to Brazil to attend the Roman Catholic World Youth Day festival.
En route, Pope Francis told reporters that the global crisis risked creating a lost generation of jobless youth.
Pope Francis has arrived in Rio de Janeiro on his first trip abroad since becoming head of the Catholic Church
As he left the Alitalia plane, Pope Francis was welcomed by President Dilma Rousseff to cheers and applause from the waiting crowd. A choir sang and the pontiff was presented with a bouquet of flowers.
Pope Francis waved before being taken by motorcade to the centre of Rio de Janeiro, where large numbers of pilgrims have gathered.
The authorities have increased security during the Pope’s visit, following weeks of nationwide protests against corruption and bad governance.
Pope Francis has refused to use an armored Popemobile, despite requests from Brazilian officials. Some 22,000 security staff will be on duty during his visit.
More than a million young Catholics are expected to gather in Rio for World Youth Day, which takes place every two years, and is a celebration of the Catholic faith.
Pope Francis is due to lead a service on Copacabana beach, and visit a shanty town.
Speaking to reporters on his flight from Rome, Pope Francis said: “We run the risk of having a generation that hasn’t worked,” even though work confers dignity.
Pope Francis also criticized what he said was a “culture” of socially rejecting the elderly who were “thrown away” as if they had nothing to offer.
Brazilian protesters have clashed with police during the Confederations Cup final between the host nation and Spain in Rio de Janeiro.
Riot police fired tear gas as demonstrators threw missiles near the Maracana football stadium.
President Dilma Rousseff did not attend the match. She was booed at the opening of the tournament.
The protests started nearly a month ago, sparked by transport fare rises, but quickly encompassed other issues.
The main grievances are over the costs of staging the World Cup, corruption and demands for better health, education and transport.
Brazilian protesters have clashed with police during the Confederations Cup final between the host nation and Spain in Rio de Janeiro
Earlier on Sunday a group of demonstrators tried to storm a Brazilian Football Association (CBF) building in Rio. But police kept them back and the group settled outside the building.
The protesters demanded the resignation of CBF president Jose Maria Marin, who has been accused of incompetence.
In a separate protest, several thousand people marched on Maracana stadium banging drums.
They demanded free public transport, carrying placards reading “FIFA – you pay the bill”. The demonstrators also called for and end to corruption and the resignation of the Rio State governor.
Minutes before the game began, small groups of protesters threw rocks and firecrackers at police lines.
Security forces responded with tear gas and sent armored vehicles to disperse the demonstrators. There were no further incidents during the game – which saw Brazil beat Spain 3-0.
The wave of protests began nearly a month ago in the city Sao Paulo after bus fares were increased by 10%.
But after heavy-handed police action, it spread to other cities and mobilized public opinion.
The rises in Sao Paulo and many other Brazilian cities were revoked after two weeks of protests.
By then, the demonstrations had turned into a nationwide movement for better education, healthcare and transport.
More than one million people have taken part in protests in about 100 cities across Brazil, the latest in a wave of demonstrations.
Violence erupted in many places and an 18-year-old man died when a car drove through a barricade in Sao Paulo state.
Protests began more than a week ago over high transport fares but are also highlighting corruption and the cost of next year’s football World Cup.
President Dilma Rousseff called off a trip to Japan to deal with the crisis.
She has called an emergency meeting of her cabinet for Friday to discuss the unrest.
The newspaper Folha de Sao Paulo, citing official figures, said that more than one million people had taken part in Thursday’s demonstrations.
Brazilian media said there were protests in more than 100 cities.
In Rio de Janeiro riot police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at groups of masked young men trying to approach the City Hall late on Thursday. At least 29 people were reported injured.
Rio authorities sealed off the state legislature building, the state governor’s office, Guanabara Palace and the mayor’s office.
More than one million people have taken part in protests in about 100 cities across Brazil
TV images showed gangs looting shops in the city centre – although many Rio shopkeepers and banks had put up wooden hoardings to protect their premises.
In the capital, Brasilia, demonstrators started a small fire at the entrance to the foreign ministry and were driven back by police using rubber bullets and tear gas.
Other government buildings in the city were attacked and riot police used tear gas and rubber bullets to scatter the crowds. About 26 people were reported injured.
There were also clashes outside a football stadium in Salvador ahead of a Confederations Cup match between Nigeria and Uruguay.
More clashes were reported in Porto Alegre in the south, Campinas north of Sao Paulo and in the north-eastern city of Salvador.
The 18-year-old man killed in the city of Ribeirao Preto was the first person reported to have died in the protests. The motorist who drove through the barricade is said to have fled the scene.
In Sao Paulo, police said 100,000 people had gathered on the city’s landmark Avenida Paulista.
Members of the city’s Free Access Movement (Movimento Passe Livre) – which has been campaigning for better public transport – earlier pledged to take to the streets “to celebrate” the reversal of a public-transport fare increase.
The protests, originally triggered by the increase on 2 June, have since grown into a much wider movement.
Protesters are angry at corruption and poor public services as well as the huge cost of next year’s football World Cup, saying the government should also invest in education and healthcare.
Previous Confederations Cup matches have drawn protests, with demonstrators expressing their anger at steep ticket prices and the money spent on the Confederations Cup, the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Sao Paulo Mayor Fernando Haddad said Wednesday’s reversal of the fare rise was a “big sacrifice”, which meant other investments would have to be cut.
Sao Paulo and Rio are the latest two cities to reverse such increases after similar moves by the authorities in Cuiaba, Recife and Joao Pessoa.
Brazilia’s President Dilma Rousseff has cancelled a planned trip to Japan over continuing mass anti-government protests across the country.
The move is an indication of the seriousness of the situation confronting her, correspondents say.
In the north-eastern city of Salvador, police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse protesters ahead of an international football match there.
Big rallies are being staged in Rio de Janeiro, Brasilia and other cities.
Demonstrators in Sao Paulo earlier said they would take to the streets “to celebrate” the reversal of a public-transport fare increase announced on Wednesday.
The protests, which were originally triggered by the increase, have since grown into a much wider movement.
Demonstrators are angry at corruption and spending on next year’s World Cup.
Brazilia’s President Dilma Rousseff has cancelled a planned trip to Japan over continuing mass anti-government protests across the country
On Thursday, President Dilma Rousseff’s office announced that her trip to Japan planned for next week had been called off. Another visit to the Brazilian state of Bahia has also been put on hold.
In a statement, the office acknowledged that the decision had been taken as a result of the continuing demonstrations.
President Dilma Rousseff earlier publicly stated that she was proud that so many people were fighting for a better country.
In Salvador on Thursday, clashes erupted when protesters tried to break through a police barrier near the stadium where a Confederations Cup match between Nigeria and Uruguay is due start later. It was not immediately clear if there were any injuries.
Meanwhile, thousands of people are marching in central Rio de Janeiro near the iconic Candelaria Church, but there have been no reports of violence.
The city authorities earlier erected barricades around the state legislature building, which was vandalized during protests on Monday.
The state governor’s office, Guanabara Palace, and the mayor’s office had been secured by police cordons.
A number of Rio shopkeepers had put up wooden hoardings to protect the front of their businesses and some banks have done the same.
In the capital Brasilia, big crowds gathered outside the National Congress building.
Previous Confederations Cup matches have drawn protests, with demonstrators expressing their anger at steep ticket prices and the money spent on the Confederations Cup, the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Brazilian government has failed to halt nationwide protests, despite reversing the public transport fare increases that sparked the unrest.
Crowds blocked main roads in Sao Paulo and Brasilia, and protesters confronted police in Rio de Janeiro state shortly after the U-turn was announced.
Earlier, there were clashes before Brazil’s football team played Mexico in Fortaleza in the Confederations Cup.
Protesters are angry at corruption and high spending on next year’s World Cup.
Activists say they have not changed their intention to hold the biggest demonstrations yet on Thursday.
Hundreds of thousands are expected on the streets there before another round of matches in the Confederations Cup.
The continued protests come after the authorities in the two biggest cities, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, said they would reverse the public-transport fare increases.
Sao Paulo mayor Fernando Haddad said the reversal would be a “big sacrifice” and said other investments would have to be cut.
Brazilian government has failed to halt nationwide protests, despite reversing the public transport fare increases that sparked the unrest
Rio mayor Eduardo Paes made a similar point, saying the lower transport prices would cost the city 500 million reals ($225 million) a year.
The mayors of Cuiaba, Recife, Joao Pessoa and other cities have already announced a reduction in bus fares in response to the protests.
But the protesters were unmoved by the gesture.
“It’s not really about the price [of transport] anymore,” said 18-year-old student Camila Sena, at a protest in Rio de Janeiro’s sister city of Niteroi.
“People are so disgusted with the system, so fed up that now we’re demanding change.”
One demonstration in the city of Belo Horizonte continued for more than 10 hours.
Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse protesters in the north-eastern city of Fortaleza on Wednesday after at least 30,000 people rallied there.
Clashes erupted when a protest march was stopped by police. Several people were injured, including police officers. Access to the stadium was blocked for at least 30 minutes, but police later allowed people to get in ahead of the game which started at 16:00 local time.
During the protest some demonstrators carried banners reading: “A teacher is worth more than Neymar”, in a reference to Brazil’s star footballer who played and scored against Mexico.
Before the match, Neymar spoke in favor of the protesters, saying in a message on Facebook: “I’m Brazilian and I love my country. I have a family and friends who live in Brazil. For that reason, I want a Brazil which is more just, safer, healthier and more honest.
“The only way I can represent and defend Brazil is on the pitch, playing football. From now on, I will enter the field inspired by this movement.”
Football legend Pele urged demonstrators to end the protests.
“Let’s forget all this commotion happening in Brazil, and let’s remember how the Brazilian squad is our country and our blood,” he said.
The current unrest is the biggest since 1992, when people took to the streets to demand the impeachment of then-President Fernando Collor de Mello.
Vice-President Michel Temer cut short a visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories on Wednesday to return to Brazil.
President Dilma Rousseff has said she was proud that so many people were fighting for a better country.
Many of the demonstrators have complained of the huge sums spent on construction for the World Cup and the 2016 Olympics, which will be hosted by Rio de Janeiro.
The dilemma for the political leadership is how to answer so many different concerns among a vast group of people with momentum and social media on their side, correspondents say.
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