Icebox parties: new way of boycotting Brazil's high prices

SUGGESTED SCRIPT: Shrimps and caïpirinhas, it's the perfect accompaniment to lounging on Ipanema beach, but with soaring prices just months ahead of the World Cup not everyone can indulge. For instance: the cost of coconut water has rocketed. SOUNDBITE 1 Elizabeth Da Silva Gomes (woman),(portuguese, 7 sec) "It used to cost 2,50 – 3 reis not a long time ago. It almost doubled in one year!” But some Rio residents are no longer putting up with it. Riosurreal is a movement launched on Facebook in January, rallying against price rises and calling for a boycott of certain products. With almost 200,000 likes on the page, the idea resonates with many. One of the movements is the so called « isoporzinhos », referring to parties organized around iceboxes. Deborah is organizing a party tonight on the beach. The idea is simple: instead of going to bars, they meet in public places, and everyone brings food and drinks. SOUNDBITE 2 : Deborah Turturro (woman), events manager freelance, (portuguese, 9 sec) "This beer in a supermarket costs 1,89. In a bar, it would be at 6 reais, 6 – 7 – 8 ». According to Deborah, this kind of boycott does impact prices. Already, an upscale bar in Rio has lowered its beer’s price by 15% after the first isoporzinhos. SOUNDBITE 3 Deborah Turturro (woman), events manager freelance (portuguese, 16 sec) "These prices prevent the Brazilians from enjoying their free time. With this movement, we want to bring back honest prices, and then we will go back to bars. » With an average income of 836 dollars per month, an inflation of up to 6% and a saturated real estate market in Rio, many Brazilians feel this situation can no longer go on. SOUNDBITE 4 Eduardo Mignani Goes (man), (portuguese, 12 sec) "Prices rise a lot faster than the inflation here. And...