The official Student News Site of Dublin High School.

The Dublin Shield

The official Student News Site of Dublin High School.

The Dublin Shield

The official Student News Site of Dublin High School.

The Dublin Shield

FIFA World Cup

Is it safe to travel to Brazil for the FIFA World Cup?

 

Teams. Transportation. Stays. Safety. The 2014 FIFA World Cup is approaching. But would it be safe to travel to Brazil for the FIFA World Cup? Brazil is a country with high crime statistics and especially now that lots of foreigners are going to Brazil, crime rates might rise a little.

 

Brazil is one of the most criminalized countries of the world and recently, news related to the FIFA World Cup has been everywhere on the internet. Although Brazilians love soccer, many Brazilians are protesting against the FIFA World Cup because Brazil is not treating the citizens equally. Instead, the government is investing money on the World Cup rather than on the needs of the citizens.

 

The government has spent an extraordinary large amount of money on the Confederations Cup and World Cup stadiums and taxpayers are furious about the situation. In addition to the stadium cost, Brazilians are also protesting the public transportation fare increase. Public transportation riders ask the government to repeal the recent 10 cent increase and instead, provide free transportation.

 

On YouTube, videos of police using tear gas and rubber bullets against peaceful demonstrators were uploaded and highly criticized. The police brutality in Brazil led protests to go even further and violence has not stopped yet.

 

If the World Cup hasn’t even started yet and the country is already so chaotic, imagine how much more chaotic it could be when the World Cup actually starts. But not only the protests and police brutality are a big problem in Brazil, crimes in “shady” neighborhoods are also common.

 

“I have seen many news about crimes in Brazil on the TV and the internet,” says sophomore Johanna Cowell. “I mean, if they weren’t as shocking or important, I don’t think it would be on American news stations.”

 

There were many news regarding crimes in Brazil in the past few years. Because of the uneducated population and large number of traffickers, the security in Brazil has been in great threat. People are often robbed in public transportations, on the streets, neighborhoods, or even in restaurants. In some cases, victims’ lives are also in jeopardy. The murder rate in Brazil is also high and Brazil has been struggling to lower it.

 

“I heard it’s pretty sketchy,” senior Curtis Lee says. Brazil is definitely not a place to be out at night. Crimes are usually committed at night but sometimes even at broad daylight. Latin American countries are known to have high rates of crimes because of its lack of educated population.

 

After reading the danger any person in Brazil might run into, if you are still interested in traveling to Brazil, here are some useful tips to keep in mind:

1. Never go out at night alone. Being with a friend in the middle of the night may also keep you feeling safe.

2. Don’t dress too fancy. If you are wearing lots of jewelries, brand name accessories, high quality clothing, and etc., you may be the first target.

3. Always be aware of your surroundings. You never know what may happen next. In Brazil, crimes may happen at any time, including broad daylight.

4. If you have a smartphone, the best thing to do is to wait till you are at a safe place to use it. People with smartphones are also one of the first targets.