MOSCOW (Sputnik), Daria Chernyshova — The Brazilian government does not fear protests over the large cost of the Rio Olympics 2016, as the money will be spent wisely, Brazilian Charge d'Affaires to Russia said Wednesday.
August 5 marks one year until the start of the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Meanwhile, local media reports suggest that Brazilian activists will take to the streets across the country on August 16 to protest the policy of President Dilma Rousseff, claiming that her policies, including Olympic Games expenditures, have put the country into a recession.
"I would like to clarify that in our democratic country, protests are frequent and this is one of the ways to express discontent. The Brazilian government respects the people and their opinion," Fabio Pittaluga said at the press conference in Moscow.
"I am sure that closer to the games, our citizens will see that the money spent for the games was not spent 'for glow,' but for the development of the city's infrastructure," Pittaluga stated.
Prior to 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, large protests were organized by the country's social movements opposing the tournament. The primary concern of the activists has been enormous spending on venues, including stadiums. Demonstrations were held both prior and during the event.
According to Brazilian Ministry of Sports, the World Cup has cost the country roughly $12 billion, while unofficial statistics suggest that the real cost of the tournament amounted to almost $46 billion.
