Lula says Brazil's economy
development makes it possible to host
Olympics
Copenhagen - Brazilian
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said
here on Thursday that rapid economic
development in recent years made it possible
for Brazil to host an Olympic Games.
He told a press conference in Hotel Skt.
Petri where he has lived that Brazil has
been experiencing a period of fast economic
development in recent years.
"The economy makes it possible" for the
South Amercian country to organize a Olympic
Games, said Silva, who is known as Lula.
The Brazialian President is here to lobby
International Olympic Committee (IOC) voters
to vote for Rio de Janeiro to host the
2016summer Olympic Games.
The IOC's 121st Session will select the host
city Friday evening among the Rio, Chicago,
Tokyo and Madrid.
"Rio wants to catch the opportunity to
organize the Olympic Games," he said.
"Brazil wants to prove it can organize the
best Olympics Games."
"This is the very first time that Brazil
truly prepares itself" for winning the right
to host the Olympic Games.
He said that he came to Copenhagen to show
the members of the IOC that Brazil had
professionally engaged the state, municipal
and federal governments to prepare for the
sport event.
He voices strong confidence that Rio would
make it in winning the right of hosting the
2016 Games.
"Yes, we can. We can do it," he said, "We
will do it to organize the Olympic Games."
Lula said that he would talk about the
future of Brazil in Rio's final presentation
in front of the 100-plus voters to win over
their votes.
He would say that Brazil has
highly-regulated financial system to weather
the financial crisis, invested a lot in
infrastrutural construction, created 24,000
new jobs last year alone and would take the
advantage of its deep sea oil to finance the
preparation of the Olympic Games.
Asked to compare this campaign with his
political campaign in the past, he said,
"This is the same kind of convincing
campaign".
He said he would have to convince the IOC
voters that the largest sport event should
not always be held in rich nations and South
America should have a chance, just like he
went to the street to convince the Brazilian
people that he was the person who could
improve their standard of life despite his
background of relatively low education.
At the same time, Lula said there was still
a lot to do in the six years to come for
hosting the Olympic Games.
Brazil and Chicago are seen as the front
runners among the four candidate cities.
U.S. President Barack Obama will come to
Copenhagen to drum up support together with
his wife for their hometown, Chicago.
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