Displeased Foreign Delegations Are Paying for Work at the Olympic Village Out of Their Own Pockets
Delegations from the United States, Italy and the Netherlands are paying for temporary workers out of their own pockets to do finishing work in apartments at the Olympic Village, where athletes will be housed starting this Sunday, the 24th.
Displeased with the condition of their accommodations, the three countries decided to assume the costs to improve them at the locale.
The Rio-2016 Organizing Committee admitted to Folha that the areas are being opened up to the competitors with pending issues that will have to be taken care of in the next few days.
The apartments are being turned over to the athletes this Sunday. Last week, employees of the delegations were given access to the locale.
The United States, Italy and the Netherlands hired contract workers for different reasons, including everything from installing lightbulbs, to fixing plumbing to cleaning services. No information is available regarding how much the delegations have spent for these services.
According to a column by Ancelmo Gois in newspaper "O Globo" on Friday (the 22nd), construction companies Carvalho Hosken and Odebrecht turned over the areas and buildings with approximately 20% of the apartments still having finishing problems including leakage and falling plaster.
In recent days there has been a redoubling of efforts on the part of employees trying to get the work finished in time. Just hours before the athletes were set to arrive, workers were still working throughout the night.
Individuals contracted to carry out jobs in the Olympic Village reported that they were being called in to take care of problems like repairing electrical wiring. Faulty installations were impeding the functioning of air-conditioners in athletes' quarters.
The Village is a complex composed of seven condominium areas comprising 31 buildings with a total of 3,604 apartments which were recently constructed and will be sold on the open market.
The buildings, as tall as 17 stories, are interconnected by a park which will be opened to the general public after the Games are finished.
Translated by LLOYD HARDER