A Reality Check for Rio

The 13th Olympic Congress was held on Oct. 3, 2009 in Copenhagen, Denmark.

By Sue Gloor

Barely after Brazil’s ecstasy died down over being chosen to host the 2016 Olympic Summer Games three weeks ago, the country’s chronic drug trafficking problem reared its ugly head in Rio de Janeiro, the capital.

Drug traffickers wielding a “large-caliber weapon,” according to police, shot down a police helicopter during a larger clash which killed 26 people overall. The attack was a shock even to Brazilians, who have long since accepted the prominence of drug violence in their increasingly economically disparate capital city.

This violence has been ever-present throughout Brazil for decades, and is exacerbated by the police’s neglect of favelas, the shantytowns that border the wealthy neighborhoods of Rio. The flow of weapons into these criminal strongholds, and the absence of any true action to stem it, is a factor that helped enable the recent event to occur.

Eduardo Paes, the mayor of Rio de Janeiro, was quick to admit that Brazilians have never attempted to hide the city’s drug problems, and will not do so now even with the new decision to host one of the largest competitions in the world. Still, direct action must be taken if Brazil wants to remain the host of the Olympics in 7 years.

Brazilian President da Silva seems to have finally turned his full attention to the situation. He has vowed to address the drug problem by providing extra federal funds to combat drug violence and increase security in the years leading up to the Olympics. A community policing effort will be established which will give police a greater presence in the favelas, and housing and road-building projects are being considered to aid in eliminating violence.

Though Rio de Janeiro is not the first Olympic city to have to deal with prominent violence after receiving its bid (after the decision in 2005 to host the 2012 summer games in London, the city experienced deadly terrorist attacks on its public transportation system), it is a problem that cannot be ignored away.

Brazil will have to step up to show the international community its determination to provide a safe venue for the world’s athletes.