Paes: The Olympics are a missed opportunity.
Mayor Eduardo Paes (PMDB) stated in an interview with the British newspaper "The Guardian" that the Olympics are a "missed opportunity" for the country; "We are not presenting ourselves well. With this economic and political crisis, with all these scandals, this is not the best time to be in the world's spotlight," he emphasized.
247 - Mayor Eduardo Paes (PMDB) stated in an interview with the British newspaper "The Guardian" that the Olympics are a "missed opportunity" for the country. "We are not presenting ourselves well. With this economic and political crisis, with all these scandals, this is not the best time to be in the world's spotlight," he emphasized.
He said he believes the press exaggerates the problems in Rio de Janeiro. "If you look at the international media, it seems like all we have here is Zika and people shooting each other," he emphasized.
By treating Rio 2016 as a "missed opportunity," Paes contradicts what he stated earlier this year. In an interview with Folha in January, he claimed that the Olympics would be a chance to "show that the country isn't just Lava Jato, just corruption, just a lack of planning." In June, he defended holding the Olympic Games in the city, stating that the municipality's financial situation was comfortable.