Every four years, three months before the start of the Summer Olympics, a torch is lit to signify the upcoming games. This is usually viewed as a joyous celebration; however, this year, it exacerbated the panic felt towards the arrival of the games, apropos Rio de Janeiro’s current status.
The serious sewage problem in Guanabara Bay has been brought to light by the upcoming Olympic sailing and swimming competitions that are supposed to take place in the bay. These contaminated waters have traces of harmful viruses and bacteria that pose sanitary risks for both athletes and tourists. Many of the citizens living in Rio de Janeiro have built up immunity towards these diseases, but without this protection, foreign competitors and tourists face more extreme health risks.
Along with the concerns of infectious human adenoviruses in the waters, the mosquito-borne Zika virus is running rampant throughout Brazil. This virus is particularly harmful to pregnant women because it can cause microcephaly, a severe brain defect, in newborn babies. Because Brazil is relatively warm all year-round, the mosquito population continues to grow and infect humans. Fortunately, the Zika virus leaves the bloodstream in as little as a week, so there is no need to worry about future pregnancies.
The preparation for the Olympics is well under way, so the games as a whole will not be cancelled, but athletes can choose whether they wish to attend or not. Many athletes have expressed their concerns and some have even decided to opt out of attending. Amy Rodriguez and Sydney Leroux, players on the United States Women’s National Soccer Team (USWNT) will no longer be attending the games because they are in the midst of their pregnancies. Golfers Marc Leishman and Vijay Singh have also opted out of participating in the games. Some countries have taken precautions in order to protect their athletes–South Korea has created a Zika-proof uniform for their athletes. For the athletes that are still planning on going, they are advised to be as cautious as possible in order to protect their health.
On top of all these health issues, subway lines connecting Olympic stadiums and venues might not be completed in time for the games because of budget restraints. Without these transportation lines, traffic will heighten in the city. Without access to transportation, visitors will have a harder time trying to reach the stadiums to attend the games. The construction of these transportation lines have also contributed to the eviction of families from their homes in order to make room for these lines. Although the residents near the Olympic construction sites are offered financial compensation and new places to reside after being evicted. Recently, Brazilian police troops stormed these favelas in a violent attempt to forcibly remove people out of their homes and relocate them.
“They came with bulldozers and fired rubber bullets at the residents as well as percussion grenades. I was hit with a baton by the municipal guard,” said Altair Guimarães, the head of the Vila Autódromo association.
“We have the right to live here, but they want to take it by force. It’s not right,” said Guimarães.
Controversy has arisen between the the violent police troops and the evicted residents. The residents are upset by their violent removal and the fact that they are forced to move away from their homes without any say.
“The mayor is using our lives, our homes, as a way to pay back the loans from the big construction companies that financed his campaign. But it’s our lives, our homes,” said Ocimar de Silva Miranda, homeowner in one of the evicted favelas.
Brazil is also facing political turmoil and is in the midst of an economic crisis. The country is not politically stable–President Dilma Rousseff is facing impeachment because she was suspected of breaking federal accounting laws. The economy is also suffering tremendously because Brazil is in its worst economic recession since the 1930s. Hosting the Olympics is extremely expensive and would make it even harder for Brazil to pull itself out of this economic downturn.
All of these factors have evoked panic and resulted in poor ticket sales. The debate whether Brazil should host the 2016 Olympics, despite its apparent instability, is still raging on. The question for Brazil is, “Although hosting the Olympics is an honor, is it worth the risks?”
