As I was walking in downtown São Paulo recently, I saw police and firefighters cordoning off the street. The gas supply company was repairing a leak that had started at a construction site run by Sabesp, Brazil’s largest sanitation and water supply company, with more than 30 million customers.
The smell of gas was very strong, and some curious people crowded around to watch. The more well-informed quickened their pace to get away. Others waited to be able to return home safely. Three days later, São Paulo’s 30th LGBTQI+ pride parade, the largest in the world, would pass through the area.
