estado.com.br has some [Google-translated] advice for the 600k foreign visitors journeying to Brazil for The 2014 World Cup. “With the escalating number of thefts and robberies in the state of São Paulo, terrorists and black blocs are less of a concern. The main warning is for armed robbery – robbery followed by death – against those who have no idea how to behave in a city as violent as Sao Paulo. The guidelines are clear: ‘do not react, do not yell or argue.'” And, by the way, hand over your valuables. The Brazilians are working hard to spread the message of passivity to their guests . . .
Embassies and consulates will be instructed to distribute to its citizens before they set foot on Brazilian soil a special guide with safety tips created for big events. The idea was the president of the World Civil Police of São Paulo Cup Management Committee, Mário Leite.
“I’m preparing our police to prevent crime of larceny. Why? Tourists come mainly from Europe and the United States do not see very often this crime type there. Unaccustomed How they will react to the assault,” said the sheriff.
The pamphlets should be published in English, Spanish and French, and Portuguese. “They will know that they should not walk boasting precise objects, be careful walking alone at night and accompanied. Then no use crying over spilled milk,” Leite said. Some of the guidelines of the guide to sound paranoid, as “the route between their destinations, try to observe if someone is following you.”
Obviously, I’m not about to suggest that visitors to Brazil should be able to exercise their natural and civil right to keep and bear arms to defend themselves and their loved ones against murderous thugs in one of the world’s most violent cities. That would be silly.
But I am saying – again, still – that a disarmed populace is a populace plagued by crime. Make no mistake, Brazilians who can’t afford armed security can’t carry. Wikipedia: “extremely severe restrictions were made by the federal government since 2002 making it virtually impossible to obtain a carry permit.”
Never mind. Past history indicates that Brazilian police will practice a little extra-judicial killing ahead of the Cup to reduce the overall population of potential perps (excluding themselves). Yeah, there’s that too.