Theatro Municipal, Rio de Janeiro
A very serious situation in Rio de Janeiro. And it is happening right now!
The State of Rio de Janeiro/ Brazil is bankrupt. There is no more money… The reason? A bad administration – or, like others say, theft and corruption.
Fact is that the “state employees” and people who have retired and have pensions from the State (over two hundred thousand, in fact) have not received their wages since months (as far as I am correctly informed since last April as well as the 13th wage from 2016).
This affects the whole crew from Theatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro. Many dancers are getting other jobs – driving taxis, baking cakes etc. – in order to survive. Some, which were more fortunate and could pay for air fares, are leaving the country for other companies abroad. But these are just a few…
People are not being able to pay their rents, gas, electricity and telephone bills or even pay for decent food or buy bus tickets in order to get to work! Some are getting sick – I know of a singer who was so desperate that he got a heart attack – and died!
Life is not easy in Brazil – even for those who earn their salaries. Imagine how it must feel like not having 5 wages on your bank account…
Retired members of this house – which once was the leading theatre in the ex-capital of Brazil – are passing though this humiliating situation: they have paid their taxes a whole life. A pension is not a “present” from the State but something that they have earned with their own work.
Last week a member of the government expressed himself in a very unskilled way saying that this situation is causing some inconvenience (!?!?) to some people. I read a very intelligent answer from a lady that said that “this inconvenience” is “just” not being able to pay rent, maintenance fees, gas and electricity bills, telephone, bus fares, health insurance, medical treatments or even food!
Yes, “just an inconvenience”.
Even so the State’s government agreed to finance “Carnival 2018” again. I honestly understand that “Carnival” brings lots of money to the city – but will these profits ever reach these more than 200.000 that are in badly need of it?
This situation is known in Brazil but not abroad. Please share it with your friends all over the world. That is the reality about Rio and its “glamorous” sub-tropical image! Sharing these facts is the only possible way at the moment that I have to try to help!
Please help more than 200.000 people against THIS INSULT TO HUMAN RIGHTS!
yours, very sad
Ricardo Leitner / Attitude
