Rio Mayor Says 2016 Olympics Will Have Bigger Legacy than Barcelona

03/18/2015 - 08h53

The mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Eduardo Paes (PMDB), said on Sunday (15) that the 2016 Olympic Games will leave a greater legacy to the city than the 1992 games left to Barcelona.

Paes was responding to comments by American economist Andrew Zimbalist in an interview published by Folha on Saturday (14).

Zimbalist has just published a book, "Circus Maximus", in which he argues that mega-events like the World Cup and the Olympics do not bring lasting benefits to the host cities or countries, and he expects Rio 2016 to support his hypothesis.

The Barcelona Olympics became well known for having revitalized the city, with new investment being made and previously neglected areas being re-urbanized.

Paes accused Zimbalist of making a "generic analysis" of Rio's preparation for the games, arguing that he showed "ignorance about what is happening in Rio."

"He said that the Olympics are going to cost US$20 billion. But the budget is clear: it's US$9.2 billion, with US$7.4 billion being for the legacy, and US$1.8 billion being for sports facilities. And, of that US$1.8 billion, 65% is from the private sector."

For Paes, the expenditure on sports facilities, which would not normally be made by the city, is more than outweighed by the investment in other areas that the Olympics will bring.

"Of course, we had to make a river for canoeing, and a golf course, that we would not make under normal circumstances. But you have to do the maths. If, in spending US$1.8 billion, we bring a US$ 7.4 billion legacy to the city, then it's worth the effort," he said.

He also mentioned the construction of the Metro, which, according to Paes, only received money from the National Development Bank (BNDES) because of the upcoming Olympics. Paes said the same is true of six Olympic swimming pools in the Maracanã region of the city.

Paes conceded the possibility that the Olympics may have a negative effect on their host cities, but he reiterated that this would not be the case with Rio.

"I tend to agree with Zimbalist in various cases. The Olympics, if not well planned, do not benefit the city. All our effort here is to ensure that they do," he said.

ON SCHEDULE

According to Paes, Rio 2016 will not suffer from the same mistakes that affected the 2007 Pan American Games, when a series of construction delays forced the government to invest more money in sporting facilities.

"We're on schedule, and we're not putting in any more public money," said Paes. "Most of the investment is private."

Translated by TOM GATEHOUSE

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	REUTERS/Ricardo Moraes
	Eduardo Paes awards Dilma Roussef with a commemorative medal to mark Rio de Janeiro's 450th anniversary, March 1