Brazil simply isn’t fit to host the 2016 Olympic games. The host country is supposed to protect the athletes and visitors that travel from around the globe to compete, but Brazil simply cannot fulfill that duty.
The country is listed as a country with active Zika Virus transmission, according to the Center for Disease Control. In fact, from February to April, there were over 90,000 suspected cases of Zika in Brazil; Of those cases, the most occurred in Rio, coming in at over 35,000 suspected cases, according to the health ministry.
Many athletes have withdrawn from the Olympic games due to concerns of Zika transmission, including recent U.S. Open winner Dustin Johnson. Hope Solo also voiced her concern of transmission, and many other athletes have withdrawn from this year’s games due to the Zika virus.
The possibility of the Zika virus being transmitted at the games has health officials concerned due to the number of international travelers that will be in Brazil to watch the games and the possibility of international transmission.
Brazil’s problems don’t end at Zika. Air and water pollution remain rampant, political and economic strife has consumed the whole country and security and crime is in question.
The athletes who come in contact with the water in the Olympic venues will be at serious risk to become incredibly ill after coming in contact with it, an investigation by AP discovered. Mass amounts of human feces have been found in the water, fostering water-borne viruses and bacteria.
The investigation stated that athletes who ingest just three teaspoons of water have a 99% chance of contracting a virus. Athletes could come in contact with disease-causing viruses measured up to 1.7 million times what would be considered hazardous on a California beach.
In 2009 when Brazil won the bid for the 2016 Olympics, promises were made to clean up the areas in preparation for the games, but as this article in ESPN examines, that was not done. Trash, sewage and other hazards still linger in the water and air.
In early as 2013, protests erupted in Rio over the money being spent on building stadiums and venues despite rising unemployment. And today, Dilma Rousseff, the president of Brazil, is on trial for impeachment over accusations of warping the health of the economy for the 2014 election and other corruption scandals.
Over a million Brazilians took to the streets in a protest calling for the oust of Rousseff less than six months ago. Many blame her for the failing economy, which is experiencing the worst recession in the last 25 years.
The unemployment rate in Brazil has skyrocketed in the last year, nearly doubling in that time, according to Trading Economics. While unemployment remains high, the country is spending $4.6 Billion on the games.
Despite the money being spent and the possibility of the Olympics boosting the economy, Moody’s Investors Service says that the Olympics won’t help the economy much. Instead of individual citizens benefitting, Cielo CA, Brazil’s largest credit-card processor, will benefit the most.
The possibility of terrorism at the games in Rio has been a rising concern as recent attacks have occurred around the globe. The Islamic State has already declared that Rio will be a target. Brazil’s lack of experience with terrorism and the ease of which terrorists can arrive in surrounding countries and travel to Brazil has many worried.
Crime remains rampant in Brazil, especially in the favelas, where many of the drug gangs reside. Recently, a Paralympian was mugged in the city at gunpoint, and another woman was given wrong directions by the Waze app, leading her to where she would be murdered.
Brazil’s problems are numerous, placing the health and safety of visitors in jeopardy. The economic and political issues that have escalated since 2009 have made Rio unfit for the Olympics. The world needs to recognize this before we pay for the consequences of participating in 2016 games in Rio.
