Sun Feb 26, 4:27 PM ET



RIO DE JANEIRO (AFP) - Tens of thousands of Brazilians crammed the streets of Rio, dancing to powerful Samba rhythms in their world-famous street party that this year provided the perfect getaway for thieves who snatched art treasures worth millions.


Using the cover of Carnival crowds to make their escape, armed thieves burst into the Chacara do Ceu museum in Rio de Janeiro on Friday and fled with paintings by Picasso, Matisse, Monet, Dali as well as a book by Picasso -- a haul valued at 50 million dollars.

The paintings were Pablo Picasso's ^The Dance^ and a book by him titled ^Toros^ Claude Monet's ^Marine^, Henri Matisse's ^Garden of Luxembourg^ and Salvador Dali's ^Two Balconies,^ museum director Vera de Alencar told reporters.

At least four men brandishing firearms forced the museum staff to disconnect the building's alarm and camera system, then stole the items and also mugged five tourists inside the museum, she said.

The thieves relied on violence and lightning speed and knew exactly what they were taking, De Alencar said.

^The robber who spoke to us was very calm,^ said David Gee of New Zealand, one of the tourists who was mugged. ^I was surprised by the speed of the robbery.^

A reward of 5,000 dollars is being offered for information that could help Brazilian police catch the thieves.

Police said Sunday that the Association of Friends of the Chacara do Ceu museum and the National Historic and Cultural Heritage Institute were offering the reward in a bid to see the valuable works returned to the museum.

A telephone tip line has been set up for the public to call if they have information on the heist, but callers need not identify themselves, police said.

Police have also issued computer-generated images of two of the armed thieves and gave details of the stolen works to 182 countries through Interpol since Friday's heist.

The massive five-day public party that precedes the Christian celebration of Lent halts all other activity in this city of six million and in most other cities across Brazil.

The event was kicked off Friday to the sound of pounding drums and samba music outside Palacio da Cidade, the town hall, in Rio's southern Botafogo district in a ceremony hosted by Mayor Otavio Leite.

For the next days the streets of Rio will pulsate to the rhythm of dozens of ^bandas^ and ^blocos^ that make up the city's 14 samba schools. Eventually they will parade in Rio's Sambodrome, where the best will be crowned.

On Saturday a group known as ^Bola Preta^ (Black Ball) -- named after the eight ball in a billiard game -- led the party in downtown Rio. Despite the high summer temperature heat an estimated 45,000 people joined in dancing behind floats carrying musicians.

^Bola Preta^ is one of the oldest samba schools participating in the Carnival -- they made their first appearance in 1911.

Hundreds of people joined the party wearing wigs, costumes or masks of superheros, animals and politicians, often drinking and dancing at the same time.

Street vendors lined the avenues doing brisk business selling cold beer, and cool beverages.

There were also accidents: Nani Moreira, the queen of of the percussion section of the Mocidade Alegre samba school in Sao Paulo was rushed to the hospital with first and second degree after a flame trick went awry early Saturday.

Moreira's feather crown caught fire during a trick, and then her hair caught fire as she tried to take off the crown. Firefighters helped douse the flames and Moreira returned to dancing, despite burnt hands and still smoking hair.

When the act was over she broke down in tears, and was escorted by samba school members to a vehicle that rushed her to the hospital.

^She showed that she could be all a warrior,^ the samba school president Solange Bichara told reporters.

Bichara said that the flame tricks had been tested several times in practice and that they had never had an accident.

And in Rio, a 52 year-old man who had been drinking beer fell from a float onto the road and injured his his head.

Rio's Carnival is not all about scantily clad beauties, colorful floats and powerful rhythms. Politics also has a place.

The 3,600-member samba school Unite of Vila Isabel, sponsored by Venezuela's state-owned oil giant PDVSA, is to parade under the theme of Latin American integration on Sunday and Monday.

carneval in rio must be so awesome, next year i wanna be there too, the women are amazing interesting story bout the thiefs, quite smart

The paintings were worth 50 million, and they pay 5000 for info? Cheapskates.

But it's not like they'll be able to sell the paintings to anyone very easily.

soulfly should play at carnival.'

="fuckcensorship420":1v3c5q7s said:soulfly should play at carnival.'

="ztl_olmi":3insy0pc said:The paintings were worth 50 million, and they pay 5000 for info? Cheapskates.

But it's not like they'll be able to sell the paintings to anyone very easily.

well in the uk there has just been a robbery on a cash depot and its just been released that $53,700,000 ish was stolen.

hats a shit load of money.

but how do you walk through a carnival with a salvidor dali in your hand???

="stue_j":3v2eegdw said:but how do you walk through a carnival with a salvidor dali in your hand???

meh.

i dunno.

surely the streets will be closed for a carnival.

="stue_j":24wijkzq said:well in the uk there has just been a robbery on a cash depot and its just been released that $53,700,000 ish was stolen.