A game, but also a danger: the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies approved in March a Bill banning the manufacture, sale and use of “cutting” lines in kites and kiteswhich are known as “pipas” in Portuguese. However, the law has not yet advanced in the Senate, and has divided opinions in the Sports Committee.
The proposal includes rules for the use of “sports thread” in official kite competitions, in which only adults or adolescents over 16 years of age may participate. The cutting wire, which in Brazil is known as “cerol” or “linha chilena” Due to its origin, it has been handcrafted for decades in the country.
Normally, the thread is made of ground glass and glue, in order to cut the thread of an opponent’s kite. The problem is that, by this same thread, Many motorcyclists have met their death on the roads.
Vendor of “pipas” or kites in Rio de Janeiro. Photo: Archive
If the bill is approved, the authorities will also have to do campaigns in the media and public education networksThe idea is to educate and raise awareness among people about the risks and consequences associated with the use of threads and sharp materials in kites and balloons.
This threat has become so common that Bikers have started putting thin poles with blades on the front from their vehicles, in order to cut the wires. In fact, these rods are distributed free of charge on one of the main highways in Rio de Janeiro.
Slashing of limbs or throats has become common in Brazilfor this reason, many states in the country have regulated the threads. The federal bill has already been approved in the Lower House, but is now being discussed in the Senate.
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In an interview with The Associated Press, Ana Carolina Silva da Silveira recounts an accident: She was riding on the back of a motorcycle when a piece of wire cut her neck. “I went to the hospital screaming that I didn’t want to die. I’m so happy to be alive,” said the 28-year-old lawyer.
There is no official data on the number of injuries and deaths caused by sharp threads at the national level. Since 2019, however, there have been More than 2,800 reports of illegal use in the state of Rio aloneaccording to the MovRio Institute.
Boy playing with kites in Rio de Janeiro. Photo: Archive
Kite laws differ from state to state in Brazil. Rio de Janeiro, for example, limits legal use to a few areas, known as “cometodromes.”located away from homes, roads and highways, while other states have blanket bans.
In the first half of the year, military police in Rio de Janeiro arrested 10 people for violating local kite laws, and in July, eight abandoned spools of cutting thread were seized in the same state. At Recreio dos Bandeirantes beach, the practice of this game and the fights between kites is highly popular.
Despite these arrests, they are generally not in line with the number of people breaking the law. “Often, the police don’t even arrest criminals. Imagine those who fly kites.”says Carlos Magno, president of the Rio kite flyers association.
