Word: rios
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...other main contenders are the U.S., Spain and Japan, and they've all hosted the Olympics before. So, Brazilians, with their beaches, sun, and a vibrant economy whose recent performance has shamed many developing-world rivals, believe that Rio de Janiero - and South America - deserves the chance to show what it can do. (See the long history of Olympic politics...
Lula has a point, but as the former union leader knows, life isn't always fair. If it were, then Rio, while a front runner, would be in a stronger position to win next Friday's decision and edge out Chicago, Madrid and Tokyo. It can claim experience: Rio hosted the Pan American Games in 2007, an event that should have transformed the still sometimes provincial resort into a more modern, more international and safer city. (See pictures of São Paulo...
...problem is, it didn't quite do that. Winning the 2007 Pan American Games was considered a big, if sometimes chaotic, success for Rio. To triumph over rival bidder San Antonio, officials used the same argument - that this was Rio's turn. To back that up, they promised to transform the city with a new ring road system, something called a "via light" railway (presumably a light railway), a new state highway and 54 km of new metro lines...
...promises are still an issue for those admittedly few Cariocas who care about such things. The Pan Ams might have provided a three-week jamboree for millions of athletes, locals and visitors, but when the closing ceremony ended, the city returned to its usual mess, said Chico Alencar, a Rio Congressman who campaigned for investigations into the massive overspending at the Pan Am Games. "The chronic problems that we have here are the same as they always were," Alencar said. "I want Rio to win the right to host the games, but we need to learn from our past mistakes...
...reportedly ended up costing many times the original estimate of $177 million, a phenomenal amount given that none of the money went to the promised infrastructure projects. (Some reports had the final costs in Rio close to $2 billion; the costs of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, according to Chinese organizers, totaled roughly $2.5 billion.) Some commentators said that was indicative of corruption, but it also suggests serious deficiencies in organization and planning. "Brazil is still learning how to do continuous public policy," Alencar said. "Public works are emergency, localized, specific. There is no strategic planning involved. That was what...