Posted on 05/11/2016 6:17:43 AM PDT by simpson96
Brazil soccer great Rivaldo is telling tourists to stay away from the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro because of the danger of endemic violence.
Rivaldo posted the warning on his Instagram account and alluded to the case of a 17-year-old woman killed on Saturday in a shootout.
"Things are getting uglier here every day," Rivaldo wrote. "I advise everyone with plans to visit Brazil for the Olympics in Rio — to stay home. You'll be putting your life at risk here. This is without even speaking about the state of public hospitals and all the Brazilian political mess. Only God can change the situation in our Brazil."
The Olympics open in just under three months.
In a recent statement, Amnesty International said at least 11 people were killed in police shootings in Rio's impoverished favelas in April. It said at least 307 people were killed by police last year, accounting for 20 percent of the homicides in the city.
Violence is one in a long line of problems facing South America's first Olympics. Although venues are largely ready, the Zika virus, water pollution, and lukewarm tickets sales are worrying organizers. In addition, Brazil is in its deepest recession in decades and President Dilma Rousseff is fighting impeachment.
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How many would actually miss the Olympics?
With the exception of swimming, there is nothing about the summer Olympics I would miss. Winter is another story.
Not sure how these troubled countries have to capital to support the games.
Perhaps it's the Olympics that are obsolete. Having various Olympics events in different countries would make so much more sense.
[With the exception of swimming]
I hope our swimmers don’t dive into the Brazilian cesspool known as a river.
Ha-Ha!! Can’t wait to see how the talking heads get around THIS one.
Stock up on popcorn!!
Something tells me this ‘soccer great’ that I never heard of didn’t make the team.
Raw sewage, piranhas, and disease...Oh my!
Ever since professionals were allowed to compete the Olympics have become uninteresting.
I think having the Olympics in the same place every time would make more sense. No more of the multi-billion dollar losses each country seems to have on these. Put the summer Olympics in Los Angeles and the winter Olympics in New York.
Infrastructure is already there and it is used when the Olympics is not there. Uber would go nuts for that time frame. The market would make it work.
Brasil was tolerable in my time there in the 80s although public medical care was always bad
It’s bad enough my ex wife came here legally with me in 87 and has been back maybe 4 times since
And most of her family came eventually legally too except her old tough as nails dad who hangs on in Barra Tijuca with his familia segunda at 80 and a nephew who’s with Flamengo football club
Course they are LeboSyrian Catholic descended who tend to be nomadic by nature as expats
I’ll tune in just to see It fall apart.
We keep saying a permanent site would be the best. Then we eliminate the traveling circus aspect of it. One or several of the Greek islands might be nice possibility.
I will, too. Sounds like it will be a train wreck.
The athletes who compete in Rio risk their lives (stupidly).
Athlete, take an assessment - you are healthy and whole. Go to Rio and you will be hurt, diseased, wounded, infected, puking, vomiting, dead.
He probably didn’t try, since he’s retired.
I love Winter Olympics. It is unfortunate that Olympics have become political. I recall the old story of a black African runner who had worked hard to make the Olympics then was prevented from attending because of his country’s racial policy. More recently there was Greek Olympia who was expelled from the team because of a silly tweet.
[Olympics are all HYPE]
I hope our American Olympians opt out this year and end the cycle of being a pawn for big business and the media.
I also love the winter Olympics. Summer bores me to tears other than the swim competition including diving and excluding all the synchro stuff.
The political drivel is quite unfortunate and I try to tune much of it out.
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