Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes told the Chicago Tribune that Rio is “a celebration city, so that’s something with all due respect to my friends in Tokyo, with all due respect to my friends in Madrid, and especially, with all due respect to my friends in Chicago…that’s something very unique in Rio. It’s something that the athletes are going to feel, it’s something that the tourists are going to feel, it’s the magic of Rio”.
To promote its bid, soccer legend Pele has been sent to official events and the bid has been showcasing natural wonders such as Copacabana Beach, which would host the triathlon, aquatic marathon and beach volleyball, reports the Chicago Tribune.
Rio organizers say they have local state and federal guarantees in place.
Carlos Arthur Nuzman, Rio 2016 bid committee president, said in an interview, “we are completely transparent, real, realistic. This happened with other Games, that after winning they said, ‘Oh, we need this, we need that'”.
Officials reportedly said that the Pan Am Games showed the city’s need to improve transportation. The subway system is being upgraded and bus lanes will be added.
Paes acknowledged that the city has a security problem because of shootouts in its slums, and tourists being robbed during Carnival. He said, “we cannot hide that”.
But according to the Chicago Tribune, Rio 2016 organizers say events such as the Pan Am Games and an indoor Rolling Stones concert demonstrated that Rio can keep crowds safe.