Rio Reaches Crisis Point Just Weeks Before The Olympic Games Begin

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The state government of Rio de Janeiro has declared a state of “public calamity”, as it struggles to cope with severe economic and social crises in the lead up to the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Public services are under enormous pressure from tighter budgets, public health issues and outbreaks of violent crime. The police and fire services' cars and helicopters have been parked indefinitely, to save money on fuel. Policemen and firefighters have gone on strike – some even occupied the arrival zones of airports in Rio de Janeiro, with banners bearing the message: “Welcome to the Hell”.

Elsewhere, in the city centre, state employees are protesting about delayed pay packages and insufficient resources.

This has led to a climate of fear and insecurity, at a time when numerous cases of violence and vandalism are taking place in the city and its surrounds. In April alone, there were more than 450 homicides in Rio. High profile cases in the last month have included a physician and a young girl, whose murders shocked the city.

Angry with actions from the government, residents have set fire to buses, and there has been a spate ofassaults, rapes and shootings.

With just over one month until the city is due to host one of the biggest sporting events on the planet, tourists and teams from many countries have already started to arrive.

Serious concerns have been raised regarding the safety of these visitors; not least, Brazilian football star Rivaldo Ferreira has urged people to stay away from the games, saying that attendees will be putting their lives at risk.

Recent events prove that these concerns are not unfounded: gunmen stormed a hospital that was recommended to tourists attending the games, and a dismembered body was found on Copacabana Beach, near the Olympic Arena.

Australian paralympians and Spanish sailors have been robbed at gunpoint, while athletes from Great Britain, Denmark, Ireland and New Zealand witnessed a shooting in one of the city’s recently regenerated areas.

These incidents have not come out of the blue. Local citizens have long lived in fear of conflicts between the police, drug cartels and militias. Authorities' attempts to “pacify” the city’s poorer areas have been disrupted by funding cuts and resistance from gangs.

Severe social inequality, sewage problems and the demise of Rio’s public health system have all compounded these issues. The problem of “arrastão” (Group Crime) remain in the city not only on the beaches, but now in the streets.

Damage control

The city, state and national governments have taken significant steps to keep preparations for the Olympics on track.

Brazilian special forces continue to train against the possibility of terrorist attacks, and have been authorised to use force to manage dangerous situations, like the arson attacks which occurred in the run up to the FIFA football World Cup.

Armed forces have also been recruited tocontrol the Zika Virus, after some scientists called for the games to be cancelled – or at least postponed – to address public health concerns.