SÃO PAULO
Fears that mass protests seen in Brazil during the Confederations Cup could re-erupt during the World Cup next year have left FIFA President Sepp Blatter questioning whether the Association made a wrong choice when choosing the South American nation to host the event.
“If [the protests] happen again in 2014, then we might have to question whether we made the wrong decision awarding the hosting rights [to Brazil],” Blatter is quoted as telling German news agency DPA.
The comments have made headlines in Brazil, where a number of media outlets have sought clarifications from FIFA over the reports on Blatter’s comments. In response, FIFA issued a full version of the interview quote, which continued, “…But this will not happen. I am confident Brazil will deliver a great World Cup. It is the right place for it to be. However, I am going to discuss this and other matters with President Dilma Rousseff in September.”
Blatter said the protests had been “like alarm bells for the government” and that Brazil now had a year to make sure this “does not happen again”, emphasizing his confidence that President Rousseff would “find that words and actions to prevent a repeat.”
Over a million people took to the streets in Brazil in June with a long list of demands, from a full overhauling of the country’s political system to major improvements in substandard public services – particularly health, education, policing and public transport.
However, many of demonstrations opposed vast outlays on the country’s hosting of the World Cup in 2014 and Olympics in 2016 – which the government justified by promising major infrastructure investments and improvements to public services.
Protesters took full advantage of heightened international attention at each of the Confederations Cup fixtures, with many of the demonstrations ending in clashes with police, and on some occasions even rioting and looting.
As the protests grew throughout the Confederations Cup, Blatter told Brazilian media that football should not be used to vent anger of the country’s social issues:
“I can understand that people are not happy but I do not believe they should use football to voice their grievances. [Brazil] knew it would have to build stadiums to have a good World Cup. Together with the stadiums there are other things being built: roads, hotels, airports… They are the legacy for the future, not just the World Cup,” Blatter told TV Globo.
Given the Confederations Cup saw just eight national sides competing in six host cities, Blatter has sought assurances from the Brazilian government that next year’s competition – with 32 teams in twelve cities across Brazil – will have heightened security.
-The return of the protests: if or when?
Although protests have continued into July, their scale has been much reduced. Some believe mass protests could be rekindled when international focus returns to Brazil, or if the government fails to response to protesters’ call-to-task.
Indeed, Brazil’s main intelligence agency, ABIN, has declared a ‘red alert’ over the possibility that protests could be ignited during next week’s World Youth Day (WYD), a Catholic festival that organizers say will reunited some 2.5 million young Catholics from throughout Brazil and the world in Rio.
The event will also feature a visit by Pope Francis – the first major overseas trip of his papacy.
Several demonstrations have already been planned to coincide with the Pope’s visit, including Rio’s now annual Slutwalk, the international movement which regularly protests over women’s and LGBT issues.
Several protesters have told Anadolu Agency they plan on taking part in demonstrations during the Pope’s visit – both using the international media platform created by the visit and in direct opposition to position held by the Catholic Church on a raft of issues – particularly on abortion and gay rights.
- Heat off Rousseff, the Government for now
A number of promised new bills and other proposals have entered Congress – which is now in recess until later in August – and although they progress has been slow, political commentators have told Anadolu Agency that protesters are waiting to see what the government’s response will be.
“With Congress now in recess it takes some of the heat from the government in terms of the popular demands,” says political scientist Maria do Socorro Sousa Braga, a professor at UFSCar University in São Paulo.
Ms. Sousa Braga says protesters will be closely watching two key proposals: the end of secret voting in Congress, given demands for great transparency and access in politics, and the final decision on how oil royalties will be divided – likely to be a large proportion to education and some (if any) to the country’s ailing health system.
However, analysts say that if politicians do not provide suitable legislative answers to protesters’ demands after returning from recess, protests could easily return and have little doubt the World Cup will see further protests, both over spending on the event and as it is the anniversary of this year’s rallies.
