At the end of a four-day tour of Rio de Janeiro by Brazil’s Olympic Committee evaluation commission in its quest to select Brazil’s candidate for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games, Rio’s bid committee said that staging the Games would require investments of $1.6 billion (U.S.) and $3.1 billion more for infrastructure.
But Rio Mayor Cesar Maia said the city, with a population of 10 million, will have a head start on the 2012 Games because it will spend $300 million (U.S.) to stage the 2007 Pan American Games, lowering the needed investments to $1.3 billion (U.S.).
“A good part of the structures will already be built, or nearly built”.
He added that Rio’s rival city, Sao Paolo, would have to spend three times more.
He said another advantage for Rio is that 70 per cent of the events can be held within a 10-kilometre radius of the Olympic Village, which would be built in the upscale beach district of Barra da Tijuca.
When asked about security he said the area is flat with just five exit routes, and two helicopters and 300 police offers will be sufficient to secure the area.
Maia said violence wouldn’t be a problem in the Barra da Tijuca area, as it has been in some other areas of the city. “Big international events come here” he said, citing the 1992 Earth Summit and last year’s World Petroleum Congress.
