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'Rio Olympic Games will intensify Brazil's class war'

Residents of Rio de Janeiro demonstrate against interim president Michel Temer, political upheaval, corruption and the cost of the Rio 2016 Olympics Games, in front of the Copacabana Palace Hotel on August 5, 2016. ©AFP

Press TV has interviewed independent writer, researcher and lecturer from Johannesburg, Dale McKinley, as well as international lawyer from Washington, David Larkin, to discuss the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, amid the economic and political instability.

Dale McKinley believes that holding mega sporting events like FIFA World Cup and Olympic Games in countries such as Brazil where people are grappling with poverty and inequality, only benefits political and economic elite.

“Generally speaking, the money is being made by not only the Olympic committee itself but by those elites within Brazil, as it was the case within South Africa, who are going to reap the benefits predominantly,” McKinley noted.   

"This is going to exacerbate the ongoing class war in Brazil," he argued.

“That is why we are beginning to see these demonstrations and this anger and frustration that is even made worse by the general political situation in Brazil given Dilma Rousseff's removal from office."

The image shows the guests of Press TV's show 'The Debate', writer and researcher from Johannesburg Dale McKinley (L), and international lawyer from Washington David Larkin.

Meanwhile, David Larkin believes that in most of the Olympic Games, ordinary people bear the costs, while officials and the IOC itself reap the benefits.

"The most insidious thing about these games is that there is a basic deal between the IOC and hosting officials to nationalize the costs, while privatize the profits," Larkin added.

The analyst argued that "real democracies" are unwilling to host these games, because "authorities are obliged to hold a referendum on the issue and in most cases people reject the idea due to its high costs."


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