Dilma is Booed at the Opening of the Confederations Cup

06/15/2013 - 19h06

President Dilma Rousseff was booed by thousands of fans, three times, before Brazil beat Japan 3-0 in the opening of the Confederations Cup, in Mané Garrincha, a stadium in which the Federal District Government has spent a little over R$1.2 billion.

Dilma and FIFA president Joseph Blatter, who was at her side and was also booed, were visibly embarrassed.

Blatter even ended up commenting on this uncomfortable situation when, speaking, asked the crowd: "Where is the respect, where is the fair play?". He was booed again.

The first whoop of the crowd at Dilma came when the name of the President was announced over the sound system of the stadium before the national anthems of Brazil and Japan.

Then, when it was mentioned by Blatter in his quick speech, there were new boos. The latest came when Dilma Rousseff herself began to speak into the microphone to officially declare the Confederations Cup open. During the latter, part of the crowd began to applaud the president.

Seconds before being announced by the stadium sound system, and receiving the first boos, she was welcomed by the fans located just below her box.

During the opening of the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio, then President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was also booed by the audience and did not make the opening speech of the Games, having been replaced by COB and Co-Rio president Carlos Arthur Nuzman.

Translated by Dave Wolin