Brazil wants to host
the 2012 Olympic Games and has already a
blueprint to back its candidacy. Security fears, however, have
been pinpointed as the main threat to the Brazilian bid. Although
Rio is unlikely to be an Al Qaeda’s possible target, the city is
burdened by frequent drug war-related shootings.
by: Luis
Waldmann
Brazil’s Olympic Committee
broke out of the doldrums on January 15th by outlining Rio de Janeiro’s
blueprint to face off against eight candidates, including front-runners Paris
and London, and ultimately win the contest to host the 2012 Olympic Games.
"This is the moment
for the Olympic Games to be held in South America," said Carlos Arthur
Nuzman, head of Brazil’s Olympic Committee. "The Brazilian bid has all
the merits to host the Games in 2012."
If Nuzman’s efforts prove
fruitful, the Rio de Janeiro Olympics will be streamlined to four regions,
all of which within a 14-mile radius, with Barra da Tijuca district alone
concentrating more than 50 percent of the events.
"This project is
magnificent, excellent, unique and historic because, for the first time, all
the installations will be within the urban perimeter," said Nuzman.
To counter as momentous
a venue as the Stade de France or a brand new Wembley Stadium in London,
Rio relies on its natural beauties such as Copacabana Beach and the Guanabara
Bay to give it an edge over its rivals.
The venerable Maracanã
complex would host the main football matches; the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon,
a stone’s throw from Ipanema, would be home to rowing and flatwater canoeing;
and the Guanabara Bay would hold slalom canoeing and sailing.
Since Rio is already being
spruced up to host the 2007 Pan Am Games, not only would it be able to become
Olympics-grade on short notice, but the investment needed for such venture
would be relatively marginal; less than half of the US$ 4.5 billion that spendthrift
London unveiled as the cost to revamp its East End.
"The experience of
promoting the 2007 Pan American Games will help in the organization of the
2012 Olympics," said José Alencar, Brazil’s vice-president. "The
government will not spare any efforts to host the 2012 Games."
On top of the US$ 1 billion
the International Olympic Committee (IOC) will pledge to the winning city,
the Brazilian government would earmark US$ 150 million and private businesses
would tally about US$ 835 million.
In addition, Brazil’s
strategic time zone, located in-between Europe and the United States, would
certainly cater to media conglomerates on either side of the Atlantic.
Security fears, however,
have been pinpointed as the main threat to the Brazilian bid.
Although Rio is unlikely to be on Al Qaeda’s wish list of possible
targets, it is burdened by frequent drug war-related shootings.
"Barbara Bush
spent Carnaval in Rio just a few months after 9/11," said
Marcelo Itagiba, Subsecretary of Public Security of the State
of Rio de Janeiro. "There is no better proof of the city’s
safety than this."
The final
vote is to be cast in Singapore on July 6th, 2005.
Other bidding cities are Havana, Istanbul, Leipzig, London,
Madrid, Moscow, New York and Paris.
Luis
Waldmann is a freelance writer based in Rio de Janeiro and can
be reached at editor@bnbureau.com.br
