Brutal killing of a samba ‘queen’ exposes dark world behind the glitter of carnival

"Tourists love Brazil’s glamour, but the murder of a transvestite has revealed the drug gang violence and transphobia below the surface

 
"Despite attempts to clean up the samba world, it is still heavily funded by criminal activity, including drug gangs and gambling moguls. Beija-Flor has been under fire in recent years for being funded and controlled by bicheiros, the bosses of an illegal but profitable gambling game called Jogo do Bicho, or the Animal Game.

Rio’s mayor Eduardo Paes even admitted he was powerless to eliminate the power of criminal gangs over Rio’s samba schools in the face of the huge popularity of their performances, particularly at carnival time. “Annoying? Yes, it is. But am I going to end carnival?” he said." "

read newstory by Beth McLoughlin​ > 
Brutal killing of a samba ‘queen’ exposes dark world behind the glitter of carnival | World news | The Guardian: