Brazil rang in the New Year with Rio de Janeiro's famed Copacabana beach nearly empty -- the usual swarms of revelers kept away by police because of the pandemic -- and pot-banging protests against far-right President Jair Bolsonaro.

Rio usually hosts one of the world's biggest New Year's Eve parties, but authorities canceled the festivities this year as Covid-19 racked the country.

"It was a complicated year, with this pandemic that has devastated the entire world," said Claudio Miranda, a 29-year-old salesman who was part of the relatively tiny crowd gathered on Copacabana.

"But we have to celebrate life -- our lives, our families' lives, everyone who's still here. Even if our hearts are aching for those who have left us," he told AFP.

Covid-19 has killed nearly 195,000 people in Brazil, the second-highest death toll worldwide after the United States. The South American country of 212 million people is currently in the grips of a nasty second wave.

The cancelation of the official festivities did not stop revelers across Rio from lighting up the city's iconic skyline with fireworks of their own at midnight.

The loud booms blended with the sound of pot- and pan-clanging demonstrators shouting "Get out, Bolsonaro!" from their windows in Rio and Sao Paulo, Brazil's two biggest cities, in protest against a leader they accuse of disastrous handling of the pandemic.

Bolsonaro, the politician dubbed the "Tropical Trump," has downplayed the gravity of the virus from the start and consistently defied health experts' advice on containing it.

He ended the year on the same note,&nbsp;saying that face masks -- which global health officials call a vital tool in preventing transmission of the virus -- "don't protect against anything."

"That's a fiction," he said in a New Year's Eve live address on Facebook.

"When are we going to get some people with the courage -- because I'm not a specialist on this, OK? -- to speak up and say that the protection provided by masks is a tiny percentage?"

New Year's celebrations were largely muted affairs across Brazil, though huge crowds of mask-less revelers could be seen at beaches and clubs in some areas.

Police broke up large parties in several cities, according to media reports.

Football superstar Neymar meanwhile tried to douse a firestorm of controversy over reports he organized a week-long party for 500 revelers at his mansion outside Rio.

The 28-year-old Paris Saint-Germain striker posted a video on Instagram of his preparations for what he called a "low-key little dinner at home" for friends and family on New Year's Eve.

"And it's not for 500 people, ok?" he added with a laugh.

Brazil rang in the New Year with Rio de Janeiro's famed Copacabana beach nearly empty -- the usual swarms of revelers kept away by police because of the pandemic -- and pot-banging protests against far-right President Jair Bolsonaro.

Brazil rang in the New Year with Rio de Janeiro's famed Copacabana beach nearly empty -- the usual swarms of revelers kept away by police because of the pandemic -- and pot-banging protests against far-right President Jair Bolsonaro. Rio usually hosts one of the world's biggest New Year's Eve parties, but authorities canceled the festivities this year as Covid-19 racked the country. "It was a complicated year, with this pandemic that has devastated the entire world," said Claudio Miranda, a 29-year-old salesman who was part of the relatively tiny crowd gathered on Copacabana. "But we have to celebrate life -- our lives, our families' lives, everyone who's still here. Even if our hearts are aching for those who have left us," he told AFP. Covid-19 has killed nearly 195,000 people in Brazil, the second-highest death toll worldwide after the United States. The South American country of 212 million people is currently in the grips of a nasty second wave. The cancelation of the official festivities did not stop revelers across Rio from lighting up the city's iconic skyline with fireworks of their own at midnight. The loud booms blended with the sound of pot- and pan-clanging demonstrators shouting "Get out, Bolsonaro!" from their windows in Rio and Sao Paulo, Brazil's two biggest cities, in protest against a leader they accuse of disastrous handling of the pandemic. Bolsonaro, the politician dubbed the "Tropical Trump," has downplayed the gravity of the virus from the start and consistently defied health experts' advice on containing it. He ended the year on the same note, saying that face masks -- which global health officials call a vital tool in preventing transmission of the virus -- "don't protect against anything." "That's a fiction," he said in a New Year's Eve live address on Facebook. "When are we going to get some people with the courage -- because I'm not a specialist on this, OK? -- to speak up and say that the protection provided by masks is a tiny percentage?" New Year's celebrations were largely muted affairs across Brazil, though huge crowds of mask-less revelers could be seen at beaches and clubs in some areas. Police broke up large parties in several cities, according to media reports. Football superstar Neymar meanwhile tried to douse a firestorm of controversy over reports he organized a week-long party for 500 revelers at his mansion outside Rio. The 28-year-old Paris Saint-Germain striker posted a video on Instagram of his preparations for what he called a "low-key little dinner at home" for friends and family on New Year's Eve. "And it's not for 500 people, ok?" he added with a laugh.

Brazil rings in 2021 with nearly empty Copacabana beach

A dozen of worshippers gathered on Rio de Janeiro's iconic Copacabana Beach on Tuesday (December 29) to pay tribute to Yemanja, the Afro-Brazilian queen of the sea.

Faithful pay tribute to Brazil’s sea goddess, Yemanja

Brazil's tourist hotspot Copacabana beach turns into graveyard overnight as activists angry at Brazil's response to COVID-19. These activists have created 100 graves on the beach to remember those more than 40,000 people who have died.

Brazil's tourist hotspot Copacabana beach turns into graveyard overnight

Hundreds of peaceful protesters marched on Sunday on Rio de Janeiro&#39;s Copacabana beach to demand the ouster of suspended President Dilma Rousseff, a reminder of the political upheaval that has convulsed Brazil in the run-up to the Olympics. 
 
Five days before the Games open, both anti- and pro-Rousseff rallies were held in at least 10 other states, most drawing relatively small crowds, as she faces an impeachment process that is likely to permanently remove her from power within weeks. 
 
Those who rallied in Rio, some with Brazil&#39;s flag draped over their shoulders and nearly all wearing the national colors of yellow and green, chanted &quot;Out Dilma! Out corruption!&quot; 
 
Those same messages were written in English on banners for the foreign tourists to see as they flocked to the crescent-shaped Copacabana beach. Some 500,000 people are expected to visit Rio to attend South America&#39;s first Olympics between August 5 and 21. 
 
&quot;This is a warm-up party, you might say, for us to keep the pressure on the Senate ... to show that the Brazilian people will not accept Dilma Rousseff remaining in power,&quot; said Carlos Carvalho, one of the organizers of the Rio protest. 
 
There were also some protests across Brazil against interim President Michel Temer, according to Globo TV. He has recognized that he will likely be booed when he goes to the Games&#39; opening on Friday, while Rousseff has said she will not attend. 
 
None of the rallies were nearly as big as those seen in recent years, when hundreds of thousands took to streets in anti-corruption and anti-government protests. 
 
Rousseff is facing an impeachment trial for allegedly breaking budgetary laws, by borrowing billions from state banks to cover budget gaps without informing Congress. 
 
It is widely expected the Senate will vote to permanently oust her in late August or early September, which would put Temer, her former vice president, in the presidency until the 2018 elections. 
 
(Reuters)

Rousseff is facing an impeachment trial for allegedly breaking budgetary laws, by borrowing billions from state banks to cover budget gaps

Hundreds of peaceful protesters marched on Sunday on Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana beach to demand the ouster of suspended President Dilma Rousseff, a reminder of the political upheaval that has convulsed Brazil in the run-up to the Olympics. Five days before the Games open, both anti- and pro-Rousseff rallies were held in at least 10 other states, most drawing relatively small crowds, as she faces an impeachment process that is likely to permanently remove her from power within weeks. Those who rallied in Rio, some with Brazil's flag draped over their shoulders and nearly all wearing the national colors of yellow and green, chanted "Out Dilma! Out corruption!" Those same messages were written in English on banners for the foreign tourists to see as they flocked to the crescent-shaped Copacabana beach. Some 500,000 people are expected to visit Rio to attend South America's first Olympics between August 5 and 21. "This is a warm-up party, you might say, for us to keep the pressure on the Senate ... to show that the Brazilian people will not accept Dilma Rousseff remaining in power," said Carlos Carvalho, one of the organizers of the Rio protest. There were also some protests across Brazil against interim President Michel Temer, according to Globo TV. He has recognized that he will likely be booed when he goes to the Games' opening on Friday, while Rousseff has said she will not attend. None of the rallies were nearly as big as those seen in recent years, when hundreds of thousands took to streets in anti-corruption and anti-government protests. Rousseff is facing an impeachment trial for allegedly breaking budgetary laws, by borrowing billions from state banks to cover budget gaps without informing Congress. It is widely expected the Senate will vote to permanently oust her in late August or early September, which would put Temer, her former vice president, in the presidency until the 2018 elections. (Reuters)

Rio beach protest calls for ouster of suspended president Dilma Rousseff

Brazil is confident that it can ensure security for more than half a million tourists and athletes attending the Rio Olympics this August, a senior official said on Wednesday. 
 
Andrei Rodrigues, secretary for major events at the justice ministry, said that a heavy police presence on the ground and international cooperation on intelligence gathering would overcome potential terror threats and the danger of violent crime. 
 
&quot;I have total confidence in our preparations for the security of the Games,&quot; Rodrigues told reporters a month ahead of the August 5-21 Olympics, which he described as &quot;the biggest event on the planet&quot;. 
 
Street crime is on the rise in Rio where budget cuts have left emergency services stretched, with police demonstrating on Monday to complain that they don&#39;t have enough funds for fuel or even toilet paper in their stations. 
 
In a grim reminder of Rio&#39;s often brutal realities, local newspapers reported on Wednesday that a mutilated body had been found, on Copacabana beach, where Olympic beach volleyball and other events will take place. 
 
Police could not be contacted to comment on the reports in O Dia and O Globo newspapers. 
 
Boots on the ground 
 
Rodrigues said that 47,000 police officers and 38,000 soldiers, whose tasks will include securing transport corridors, will keep a lid on crime. This is double the number deployed in the 2012 London Olympics. 
 
He also played down fears of a terrorist attack in Rio following a string of bloody, low-tech assaults in France, Belgium and this week in Istanbul airport, where jihadists fired into crowds, then blew themselves up, killing at least 41 people and injuring 239, according to the latest count. 
 
&quot;Brazil today is adopting the best international practices for security at major events and in the specific case of countering terrorism we have adopted all possible practices,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;We are not going to alter our plans. We will be ever more vigilant.&quot; 
 
International cooperation on intelligence will be key to stopping terrorism, he said, and Brazil is hosting a coordination centre with 250 officers from 55 countries to exchange information. 
 
Unprecedented intelligence gathering 
 
&quot;It&#39;s the biggest operation of international police cooperation - not just in Brazil but for Interpol,&quot; Rodrigues said. 
 
A separate joint anti-terrorism center currently brings together officers from seven countries, along with Brazil: neighbouring Argentina and Paraguay, plus Belgium, Britain, France, Spain and the United States. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s the first time there&#39;s been this type of capability for security at the Olympic Games,&quot; he said. 
 
Rodrigues said that almost 394,000 people had undergone background checks so far and that 1.8 per cent of these had been barred from the Olympic Games. In all, he expected 600,000 background checks to be made. 
 
Also on Wednesday, authorities announced measures to ensure security at airports in Rio and to prevent attacks involving aircraft. 
 
&quot;Despite all our efforts to prepare, events like yesterday&#39;s (in Turkey) put us on the alert. The (transport) ministry has met to boost scrutiny in these areas. The forces are ready. We have measures that will adopted and which we cannot reveal for security reasons,&quot; said Transport Minister Mauricia Quintella. 
 
One measure will be requiring private jets to first go through a security check at an airport outside Rio before continuing to the city during the hours of 8:00 am and 10:00 pm. 
 
&quot;If not, planes will only be able to land between 2:00 am and 8:00 am when there is no mass gathering in progress. This will be another measure for minimising possible attacks,&quot; a government statement said. 
 
(AFP)

Statement comes as street crime are on the rise and police protest budget cuts that leave them without funding for toiler paper

Brazil is confident that it can ensure security for more than half a million tourists and athletes attending the Rio Olympics this August, a senior official said on Wednesday. Andrei Rodrigues, secretary for major events at the justice ministry, said that a heavy police presence on the ground and international cooperation on intelligence gathering would overcome potential terror threats and the danger of violent crime. "I have total confidence in our preparations for the security of the Games," Rodrigues told reporters a month ahead of the August 5-21 Olympics, which he described as "the biggest event on the planet". Street crime is on the rise in Rio where budget cuts have left emergency services stretched, with police demonstrating on Monday to complain that they don't have enough funds for fuel or even toilet paper in their stations. In a grim reminder of Rio's often brutal realities, local newspapers reported on Wednesday that a mutilated body had been found, on Copacabana beach, where Olympic beach volleyball and other events will take place. Police could not be contacted to comment on the reports in O Dia and O Globo newspapers. Boots on the ground Rodrigues said that 47,000 police officers and 38,000 soldiers, whose tasks will include securing transport corridors, will keep a lid on crime. This is double the number deployed in the 2012 London Olympics. He also played down fears of a terrorist attack in Rio following a string of bloody, low-tech assaults in France, Belgium and this week in Istanbul airport, where jihadists fired into crowds, then blew themselves up, killing at least 41 people and injuring 239, according to the latest count. "Brazil today is adopting the best international practices for security at major events and in the specific case of countering terrorism we have adopted all possible practices," he said. "We are not going to alter our plans. We will be ever more vigilant." International cooperation on intelligence will be key to stopping terrorism, he said, and Brazil is hosting a coordination centre with 250 officers from 55 countries to exchange information. Unprecedented intelligence gathering "It's the biggest operation of international police cooperation - not just in Brazil but for Interpol," Rodrigues said. A separate joint anti-terrorism center currently brings together officers from seven countries, along with Brazil: neighbouring Argentina and Paraguay, plus Belgium, Britain, France, Spain and the United States. "It's the first time there's been this type of capability for security at the Olympic Games," he said. Rodrigues said that almost 394,000 people had undergone background checks so far and that 1.8 per cent of these had been barred from the Olympic Games. In all, he expected 600,000 background checks to be made. Also on Wednesday, authorities announced measures to ensure security at airports in Rio and to prevent attacks involving aircraft. "Despite all our efforts to prepare, events like yesterday's (in Turkey) put us on the alert. The (transport) ministry has met to boost scrutiny in these areas. The forces are ready. We have measures that will adopted and which we cannot reveal for security reasons," said Transport Minister Mauricia Quintella. One measure will be requiring private jets to first go through a security check at an airport outside Rio before continuing to the city during the hours of 8:00 am and 10:00 pm. "If not, planes will only be able to land between 2:00 am and 8:00 am when there is no mass gathering in progress. This will be another measure for minimising possible attacks," a government statement said. (AFP)

Brazil has 'total confidence' in Olympics security