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 The Brazilian Candidacy Committee interested in hosting the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, in the southeast of Brazil, handed out this Friday, January 11, three days before the deadline, the government pledge as required by the International Olympic Committee (COI). The act happened in the city of Lausanne, in Switzerland.
The leaders of the Brazilian delegation told reporters they were optimistic about their bid and said they believe the federal, state and local government will join hands to organize the global sports competition.
"The assurances presented show the solidity of the Rio-2016 candidacy and the certainty that we have all the conditions to organize for the first time a South American Olympics," commented Carlos Arthur Nuzman, chief of the Brazilian Olympic Committee (COB) and president of the Candidacy Committee.
"It is a warranty that the three governments will be working together from ground zero, all with the same goal," Nuzman added.
The Brazilian delegation had six members. Besides Nuzman, also went to Lausanne Sérgio Cabral Filho and Luiz Fernando Pezão, governor and lieutenant governor of Rio de Janeiro; Ricardo Leyser, executive secretary of the Government of Rio; Eduardo Paes, Rio's Sports Secretary and Ruy César, special secretary of Rio's City Hall.
In this first phase, the cities interested in hosting the games have to ascertain that the Olympic Charter will be respected and that the country presenting its candidacy to host the games will guarantee the entrance and free transit to all those authorized by the Olympic Committee to participate in the competition.
The host nation also has to guarantee that it will have money to stage the games as well as to build all the necessary infrastructure.
As for security, this was promised by the Federal government, in a document signed by Brazilian President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, as well as Rio's governor Sérgio Cabral Filho and the city of Rio's mayor César Maia.
According to the Brazilian Olympic Committee (COB), the warranties presented to the ICO "surpass the requirements" imposed by the International Olympic Committee.
Azerbaijan, Baku, Chicago, Doha, Madrid, Prague and Tokyo are the others cities aspiring to host the 2016 Olympic Games. Rio was the second city in the competition to submit its papers. Tokyo had done it the previous day. In June, the IOC is going to make a shorter list of candidates, picking the winner in 2009.
The soccer stadium Maracanã would be the venue for the opening and closing ceremonies. Archery and the marathon would use the Sambódromo, the space where Rio celebrates every year its Carnaval. Copacabana Beach would stage swimming marathons, triathlon and beach volleyball.
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But, then again, given the IOC´s penchant for corruption, maybe Brazil’s politicians, also highly skilled in this area, can "dar um jeitinho"?