For decades it has been one of Rio de Janeiro's most notorious nightspots, a neon-lit colossus at the heart of Copacabana beach renowned as a meeting point for wealthy, sunburned tourists and scantily clad prostitutes. After 25 years of late nights and throbbing hangovers, the dancefloor of the Help discotheque is set to host its last party on Friday 28 August, as the government moves to clean up the city before Brazil hosts the World Cup.
Cabral, who is campaigning to bring the Olympics to Rio, says the museum is part of a drive to improve living conditions in the city, which has also introduced pioneering policing initiatives in several slums including the City of God favela made famous by Fernando Meirelles's film. News of Help's imminent closure has gone down badly among the estimated 2, freelance prostitutes who use the club for business, often to support their families.
This is not a crime. Thaddeus Blanchette, a north American anthropologist who has written extensively on the club, said closing it would not reduce levels of sex tourism but would make the prostitutes' lives "more complicated and, ultimately, dangerous". He said: "What will happen is that many of the women who are currently 'freelancers' and use Help will be pushed to accept, to one degree or another, pimps as they will have to work the old traditional venues or the infinitely more dangerous street scene.
This, of course, puts them and tourists more at risk for crime and violence. Sketch of the museum planned for the site of Help in Rio de Janeiro. This article is more than 13 years old. Notorious venue to make way for museum in city clean-up ahead of World Cup, raising concerns over its 2, patron prostitutes. Topics Brazil Americas news. Reuse this content.
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