April 20, 2016•Update: July 28, 2016
By Maria Pas Salas
SANTIAGO, Chile
The political crisis currently playing out in Brazil will not affect the summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff said Tuesday.
“They are going to be a success”, she said in her second public appearance since the lower house of Congress voted Sunday to proceed with an impeachment process against her.
The political crisis forced Rousseff this week to suspend a trip to Greece where the Olympic torch will lit before making its way to Brazil for the start of the Rio Games in August.
Rousseff´s statement comes after the International Sports Federation expressed concerns about problems at some Olympic venues, including electrical failures at the gymnastic arena.
Rio´s sport director, Agberto Guimaraes, agreed the games would be a success but admitted that preparations that have taken seven years “were not perfect or up to your expectation.
“I can assure you that the athletes will not have any problems at game time, nor any of you in your events,” Guimaraes said.
Executives at the International Olympic Committee visited Rio last week and were briefed about the country’s political situation.
Officials were assured that the political environment would not affect the games.
