IOC, Brazil struggling to avoid politics during Olympics
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A mascot performs during a berak in the women’s rugby sevens match between France and USA during the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at Deodoro Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Monday. / AFP-Yonhap
By Valter Junior
RIO DE JANEIRO ― Although the peak of Brazil’s political turmoil has passed, the country still lives in a battle between those who support Brazil President Dilma Rousseff’s impeachment and those who want to keep her as president. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Rio 2016 organizing committee are making moves to avoid bigger problems during the Olympics.
Since the opening ceremony, as imagined, people have been using the Olympics to express their opinions about the current political situation.
However, the interesting thing is that the vast majority, who called for the exit of Rousseff months ago, are insisting that they want their country’s interim president, Michel Temer, to step down as well. It seems to be like a novel with only villains and endless fighting.
“Fora Temer” (out Temer) has been chanted in almost all the arenas. In response to the chant, people who are against the Worker’s Party of Rousseff and former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva answer back.
On the other hand, however, there are sports fans who just want to enjoy the games, which is exactly what the IOC and the Rio Games organizing committee want to see.
“We are alerting the public that these kinds of protests are not allowed inside the venues,” the Rio Olympics organizing committee spokesman Mario Andrada told reporters on Sunday.
According to the IOC, any kind of political, religious or commercial manifestations by athletes and spectators is not allowed. People with banners displaying this kind of content will be warned. If they keep protesting, they will be asked to leave the venue.
“The persons who are protesting politically in venues are requested not to do so and if they persist, they are asked to leave. This is a temple for sport and we need to focus on that,” Andrada said.
At Sambodromo, where the archery competitions take place, a man was kicked out of the stands by the National Guard on Saturday. Other major issues happened at Mineirao Stadium, host of the football matches in Belo Horizonte. Nine people, each with a t-shirt panted with a different letter that, put together, would have created the phrase, “Out Temer,” were there, though one of the protesters changed out of his t-shirt later to end the conflict.
Even though there have been and are efforts to avoid political issues, some cases couldn’t be stopped by the organizing committee especially during the opening ceremony. Caetano Veloso, one of the singers at the opening ceremony, protested with a small banner backstage against Temer, who was booed when he declared the Games open. At least one athlete was busted by TV cameras during the parade with the same content written in Portuguese on her hand.
Valter Junior is a journalist for Metro Brazil. He can be reached at vajunior@gmail.com.