On February 1st the opposition promised to put a million people on the streets protesting against the Mubarak administration. The result was a situation of high anxiety for foreigners in Egypt.
Traffic, normally chaotic in Cairo, has gotten much worse. There are problems with fuel shortages. Another problem is the curfew; although many are not obeying the curfew, there tends to be a rush just before it goes into effect.
Public transportation is mostly non-existent. Meanwhile, the airport is packed with foreigners trying to get flights out – very difficult as practically no flights are coming into Egypt.
According to the Brazilian embassy in Cairo, it has a list of 42 Brazilians who wish to leave Egypt. However, the embassy does not have reports of any Brazilians in need of emergency assistance; that is, no Brazilians have been injured or hospitalized due to the scuffles on the streets.
On Monday, January 31, the Brazilian Foreign Ministry (Itamaraty) recommended that any plans to visit Egypt be suspended temporarily.
In a note, the ministry said: “The Brazilian government is concerned with the situation in Egypt and hopes that there will not be any violent repression against demonstrators. Brazil would like to see the events there unfold peacefully.”
The Itamaraty has released the telephone numbers of its embassy in Cairo: 202-2575-6877 or 202-2577-3013. There is also a diplomatic hotline (plantão diplomático) at 201-0817-7678 for Brazilian in need of help.