Brazil’s turn

World Cup 2014, Olympic Games 2016… All the sports fans around the world now dream to go to Brazil in the next few years. But of course the designation of Rio as the host of the Olympic Games goes beyond sport. A recent study claimed that the Games could generate 56 billion dollars and 2 million jobs by 2027. In 2016, Brazil could be the world’s fifth largest economy. President Lula repeated it during the whole campaign : it is about “Brazil’s turn”. Among his projects, he recently declared he would “change the favelas into suburbs, change the minds and give the youth an opportunity.”

For O Globo, the biggest newspaper in Brazil, the challenge is very high for Rio with “seven years to achieve what has not been done in 50” Other media talked about an inversion of 16 billion dollars. The doubts also come from the experience of the Panamerican Games in 2007. The balance of this event is quite disappointing. In Brazil people highlight that the organization of those games did not have any impact on the city’s economy, the transportation system has remained the same and the pollution is still high. Furthermore, the sport industry has not improved and suffers a lack of professionalism. The ex president of the Parliamentary Investigation Commission even talked about corruption and a “shame for the country”. The Brazilian Olympic Committee will have to take it into account if they do not want to fail Brazil’s turn.