In less than two weeks, the biggest sporting event in the world is upon us. The Summer Olympics, a tradition since 1896 (not counting the Ancient Greeks), is about to begin in the city of Rio de Janeiro. Whenever someone looks at a picture of the city, the first thing they will usually see is the famous "Christ the Redeemer" statue or the crowded beaches with people diving into the crystal clear blue water. Paradise, right? Well, Rio is actually one of the most dangerous and corrupt cities in the world. Even the venues aren't even complete yet, but that's the least of Brazil's problems. When realizing how corrupt and dangerous the city actually is, the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro will possibly be catastrophic.

As of yesterday, the Olympic torch relay was running through the east coast of Brazil until protesters extinguished the flame. The protest was coordinated by teachers haven't being paid for two months as a result of the near bankruptcy of the Rio state government. In the same article by The Guardian, it is stated that the protests are due to growing frustration with the devastated Brazilian economy. This week, the government announced that average wages have fallen by more than 4 percent over the past year, while the number of unemployed in Brazil has grown by 37 percent. To put that number in perspective, the number of people unemployed during the United States 2008 financial crisis was 10 percent. This is leading to an increasing number of homeless citizens, and when the Rio Olympic Park was being built, Brazilian officials evicted several poor families out of their neighborhoods.

It's not just teachers that are protesting. This June, the Rio police force protested at Rio's international airport. They held a sign that said "Welcome to Hell. Police and firefighters don’t get paid–– whoever comes to Rio de Janeiro will not be safe.” According to the BBC, there have been many other protests concerning the police force.Members of the police forced staged other demonstrations against the late payment of salaries and a lack of basic necessities, including fuel and toilet paper.The fact that Rio de Janeiro's own police force is protesting against the government can also contribute to the increasing police brutality in the city. In the past five years in Rio, 16 percent of registered homicides were committed by police officers (this totals in 1,519 people killed in total). Will the brutality increase when the Olympics begin in Rio or will the police follow government regulations even if they are not being paid? No one will know for sure until the games start.

One of the main concerns of the games being held in Brazil is the epidemic of the Zika virus. Since mosquitoes thrive in warm, humid climates, Rio de Janeiro is a perfect location for Zika to spread. Many notable athletes already declared to not attend the games, including Jason Day, Pau Gasol, Stephen Curry and LeBron James. In fact, according toThe Telegraph, there is a possibility that Zika can spread toas far as Great Britain due to the influx of tourists coming into Brazil.

In conclusion, Rio de Janeiro will ultimately suffer due to the government's decision of holding the Summer Olympics. When looking at the facts, Brazil at the moment is a terrible place to hold any sort of worldwide event due to the increasing poverty, under-paid police and the health concerns currently in the area. Even if it is touristy and the media will constantly be covering the Olympics in a positive light, the corruption and violence in the city will not go away. Eventually, all the problems of Rio de Janeiro are going to build until it becomes a catastrophe, and this year's Olympics are going to usher in that catastrophe.