Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva discussed Rio’s bid for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games following the G-20 summit in London.
He said, “when the Olympic Games come to Brazil, our economy will go back to growth. The world economy will be recouped”.
Silva discussed the bid alongside Rio de Janeiro Gov. Sergio Cabral and Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes, at a building located across from the site where the London 2012 Games will be centres, reports the Associated Press.
Although the London Games has an overall budget of $13.6 billion – more than double the original estimate – Silva said Brazil, which has Latin America’s largest economy, would be able to handle the cost of staging the Games. He said, “we want to give all the guarantees. We will not have a credit problem”.
The Associated Press reports Rio’s projected budget of $14.4 billion includes infrastructure costs, some of which will be ready in time for the 2014 World Cup which Brazil is hosting.
Silva said, “then we will have another two years…to complete the preparation”.
Silva said he will ask IOC members to vote for Rio. South America has never hosted the Olympics. He said, “we need to make the Olympic world perceive the South American continent has the right to host an Olympic Games”.
Mayor Paes said hosting the 2007 Pan American Games and the 2014 World Cup will give Rio an advantage over its competitors. He said, “this experience showed Rio’s capacity to host a event of this magnitude”.
