The U.S. Consulate General informs U.S. citizens that Rio de Janeiro’s local taxi drivers are protesting the use of ride sharing program UBER. The strike will take place the morning of Friday, August 12th in immediate vicinity of the Olympic Park. In past, these demonstrations have been peaceful. Previously, taxi drivers have conducted strikes during rush hour commutes to cause delays in traffic. The taxi strike organizers state that they plan to close avenues around Barra da Tijuca Olympic Park. Such an event would affect transport for visitors to venues in the Olympic Park.
While protests by taxi drivers do not specifically target U.S. citizens, tensions will likely be high between UBER operators and taxi drivers across the city. U.S. citizens should exercise caution and, as recommended by Rio 2016, use public transportation to Olympic events to avoid traffic congestion.
U.S. citizens who travel to or reside in Brazil are urged to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) in order to receive the most up-to-date security information. By enrolling, U.S. citizens make it easier for the Embassy to contact them in case of emergency. U.S. citizens without Internet access may enroll directly with the U.S. Embassy or Consulate. During the Olympic and Paralympic Games, travelers may also enroll in the Consulate General’s opt-in text messaging (SMS) alert system by sending an email with their phone number to optinrio@state.gov.
The U.S. Consulate General in Rio is located at Avenida Presidente Wilson, 147 and can be reached at phone number 21-3823-2000, emergency after-hours phone number 21-3823-2029, American Citizen Services fax number 21-3823-2093, and e-mail acsrio@state.gov. Travelers may also consult the website of the U.S. Consulate in Rio de Janeiro for more information or download our free app USinRioUSinRio in App Store or Google Play.
U.S. citizens should also consult the Department of State’s Country Specific Information for Brazil which is located on the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs website. Travelers may obtain up-to-date information on security conditions by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada, or on a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444 from other countries. Stay up to date by bookmarking our Bureau of Consular Affairs website which contains current Travel Warnings and Travel Alerts.
For further information:
- See the State Department’s travel website for the Worldwide Caution, Travel Warnings, Travel Alerts, and Brazil Country Specific Information.
- Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security messages and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
- Call 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada or 1-202-501-4444 from other countries from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
