State of the Nation: Travel to Brazil

The US consulate in Rio de Janeiro recently released a warning to US citizens living in or traveling to Rio.

...the level of violence has escalated in Rio de Janeiro. Armed gangs have engaged in numerous shoot-outs and taken over one luxury building in Ipanema, robbing several apartments. On November 22, teenage bandits on bicycles attempted to rob and subsequently shot dead a fifty-eight year old Brazilian woman driving in Leblon. On November 26, assailants armed with automatic rifles and grenades held up a bus of sixteen British tourists on a major thoroughfare. Americans are urged to exercise caution and carry a minimum of valuables while traveling in Rio de Janeiro.

Unfortunately this is a fact of life; Rio can be a dangerous city. Violence often erupts as inhabitants of the favelas come into town and stir up trouble. The fact that there has been an incident involving tourists has highlighted the issue in the international news. We always warn On The Road Travelers to take caution in any foreign country - particularly Brazil. As a tourist, you will be a target, especially if someone notices you are struggling with the language. Don't be so worried as to not leave the hotel and enjoy your stay, but always practice caution in your actions while traveling thoughout Brazil. Leave all of your jewelry at home. Keep a photocopy of your passport on hand, or better yet, scan it and send it to your email account. Avoid walking around with large amounts of cash.

Lee Weingast, our editor in Brazil, has the following advice for travelers to Brazil: 'I don't think that the incidents mentioned in the consular warning have changed anything or that the "rise" in violence is necessarily a trend. The risk of violence though, as we've discussed before, is very real.  The brief recommends taking caution. I'm not really sure how tourists could do that since most muggings happen in broad daylight. I guess staying away from Copacabana is a good start, and certainly not walking with anything valuable on the beach when it's not crowded. Another bit of advice is to acquiesce with whatever the assailant requests.'

For up to date information on travel warnings issued by the US government check in with travel.state.gov

Travel Recommendations & Advice From Local Experts

Comments

[Jen]

Check out our most recent update on the situation: http://ontheroadtravel.blogs.com/chronicles_on_the_road/2007/01/rio.html

[Stiv]

Well I guess I'll get to see first hand in April.

I've been to some very dicey places globally and I'm really hoping Rio doesn't live up to the hype.

[Jen]

An interesting piece of news today from Rio de Janeiro - 80 police officers were arrested for allegedly selling arms to criminal gangs and drug trafficking. http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/view.php?StoryID=20061215-082639-2466r