SÃO PAULO, Brazil — At least 48 towns or cities in eight Brazilian states have canceled Carnival festivities this year because they are suffering from the worst recession in the country’s recent history.
In Porto Ferreira, a small town in São Paulo state, the local assembly has voted to call off Carnival, and use the money to buy a new ambulance. The mayor of Taquari, in Rio Grande do Sul, has decided to use the money that would have gone to the celebrations to speed up the waiting line for health exams in public hospitals, as well as to fund a project for children with special needs.