Where there is light there is also darkness. Where there is hope there are also risks. Although the Olympic Games are promoted as the glimmer of light for Brazil’s economy, the mega event certainly also casts a big shadow on the poorer Brazilian population that seemingly was never asked if they wished for the Games to take place on Brazilian ground. Indeed, critics have all the reasons to fear the catastrophic effects such a big event could have on a country like Brazil that, on its way to economic power, often forgets about its poorest people.
On the one hand, it’s certainly the people that will have to face the effects of such a significant project, whether they are positive or negative, in the first place. Nevertheless, the tropical rain forest should always be mentioned if you want to address the risks of an event like the Olympic Games taking place in a country like Brazil because such a spectacle requires one thing: space. For the sake of the mega event, big areas of rainforest will be logged off to build the villages for the athletes for instance, including the German team by the way.
While eco-warriors mourn the loss of a big areas of rainforest, many Brazilians, voluntary workers and charity organizations fear that big sums of money that were supposed to be spent on extremely crucial social issues like the fight against drug abuse, crime and the buildout and expansion of social facilities is going into the Olympic Games through the backdoor. And by backdoor I mean embezzlement.
While the Olympic Games do promise new jobs, critics don’t believe in their sustainability. In order to ensure a smooth flow and perfect organization, workers from other parts of Brazil will be flocking to Rio only to become jobless after the Olympic Games. However, those poor workers will most certainly stay in Rio or rather in the Slums of Rio, which will in turn cause the poverty-riddled slums to grow further.
Millions of people from all over the world will follow this spectacle on their TV, in the newspaper or on their computer or smartphone screens. Rio de Janeiro will be in the center of attention worldwide. We can be sure that the country will show itself from a very polished up and clean side. But surrounded by the glamour of the Olympic Games, we should not get blinded by the light and look behind the façade.
