Decaying legacy of Rio 2016

[msclelovr]

I know we are all aware to some extent of the incompetence, corruption and mismanagement of resources in Brazil. This article, however, on Rio's decaying legacy of 2016 is a shocking summary. (The Daily Mail is a UK newspaper with a hugely popular news website)

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4803642/Dashed-hopes-Rio-2016-s-lasting-legacy.html

[Guest KevinC]

Brazil will always be Brazil. I visit Brazil for purposes other than seeing a well-run government.

[Guest bobbalino]

Way to kick a city when it's down, Daily Mail ... not helping when portraying Rio as a post-apocalyptic burnt out shell of its former self, to be avoided as a tourist destination. This was forecasted for years. No call for journalists to buff their nails on their lapels as if they landed the scoop of the moment. 

Outside of the sports venues, none of which I have seen up close, the post-summer2016 city is no less appealing than previously. I find it more beautiful than ever in my 12 weeks contained within 4 visits the past year. 

 

[ferrar]

On 20/08/2017 at 5:14 PM, bobbalino said:

Way to kick a city when it's down, Daily Mail ... not helping when portraying Rio as a post-apocalyptic burnt out shell of its former self, to be avoided as a tourist destination. This was forecasted for years. No call for journalists to buff their nails on their lapels as if they landed the scoop of the moment. 

Outside of the sports venues, none of which I have seen up close, the post-summer2016 city is no less appealing than previously. I find it more beautiful than ever in my 12 weeks contained within 4 visits the past year. 

 

From the point of view of an actual resident  I would have to agree.  The only 'surprise' here is that Rio was actually able to pull off a successful Olympics at all.   True, to very low expectations, so why raise them now?

And sorry to say that the Olympics actually led to some infrastructural improvements, for real-life residents.  Like new metro stations and especially the new Linha 4 connecting Ipanema with Barra da Tijuca, which previous Rio governments had promised and failed to do for decades, drastically reducing transit time/costs, benefitting commuting workers every day.  New highways like the BRT were constructed and are still utilized, as is the tram downtown.   Downtown the Museu do Amanha is  open for business for tourists and residents alike and the surrounding grounds along the renovated Port a meeting point on weekends. 

This is not to gloss over many of Rio's well known issues but as Bobbalino put it,  it is certainly, at a minimum, no less appealing than before.

As for as the stadiums are concerned,  I can't speak for the others, but tomorrow at Maracana,  closed for  'improvements'  (as dubious as they were) for the Games,  is  Game 2 of the semi-finals of a national soccer tournament,  and a classic match-up between two of Rio's major teams.   See you there.  

[likeohmygod]

Correct me if I am wrong ferrar...

Even the UPP forces and the pacification process of favelas in Rio, begun thanks to the olympics.

Rio is much safer than before, if you ask locals