This week, Carnaval begins in Rio de Janeiro. It’s a five-day celebration of the end of summer in Brazil and the beginning of Lent.
While you may see images on TV of extravagant floats going down the Sambadromo, the people who make Carnaval happen are the workers selling drinks in the street, selling food, and cleaning up after parties.
Street vendors complain, though, that they are often robbed by Rio de Janeiro’s police, often at the request of local bar owners, who claim that the street vendors eat into their profits.
Now, workers are organizing and demanding that Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes stop the violence.
Emmy-nominated labor reporter Mike Elk visited Rio de Janeiro from Pittsburgh to investigate. Watch our 5-minute segment with subtitles and share it with your friends.
