Pope's Brazil visit raises red flags for World Cup, Olympics

A string of organizational flaws during the visit of Pope Francis to Brazil that put him at risk and stranded thousands of visiting faithful has deepened concern about the country's ability to host the upcoming World Cup and Olympic Games.

Even Rio de Janeiro's mayor gave himself a failing grade in organizing World Youth Day, a biennial gathering of young Catholics that on Sunday drew some 3 million people to a seaside mass delivered by the pope on Copacabana beach.
The city, said Eduardo Paes in a radio interview on Friday, "scored closer to zero than ten."
The big events in Brazil, including next year's World Cup soccer tournament and the 2016 Olympic Games, are supposed to showcase a decade of economic growth in Latin America's largest country and justify the first-world airs put on by many of its leaders.
But slowing growth in the last two years and disgust with corruption, rising prices and the sad state of public services are leading many Brazilians to see little more than pretense behind the extravaganzas.
Last month, protesters staged massive demonstrations across Brazil during the Confederations Cup, a soccer competition seen as a trial run for the World Cup. Anger focused on the fact that billions of dollars was being spent on sporting events rather than on schools, hospitals and public transport.
Even as Brazilians gave Francis a rapturous reception, they were taken aback by the problems that emerged during his visit and the youth summit, an event which had been planned for two years. Catholic faithful who came from across the world faced long lines, crowded buses, faulty trains and disorganization.


Reuters