Brazil may be preparing for the Olympics, but it is not prepared for the other disasters that may come its way. This past year, Brazil has dealt with a crippling drought, a serious mining disaster leaving hundreds of miles of rivers and waterways contaminated, and a disease that may turn away some visitors to the Olympics and prove even worse for the country.
Brazil spent millions of dollars into funding and sponsoring the 2014 FIFA World Cup, which, according various articles and citizens, did not help the economy at all. With the upcoming 2016 Olympics, Brazil is digging itself deeper in debt.
“[The government] says they are trying to help the country by bringing more money from the outside, which is not happening,” said Davisson de Oliveira, a sophomore from Brazil studying computer science.
Oliveira recounted an article by Street News Service that he read about issues in Brazil and recounted a phrase. “‘If you don’t see them, they don’t exist,’” he recited.
“It was really interesting what they said, because it’s true. If people come from the United States or Europe, and they don’t see [the issues] they think that Brazil is a kind of...paradise.”
One of the major issues is the lack of water. A country largely dependent on water sources, Brazil is suffering through the largest water crisis in 80 years with the second of two consecutive driest seasons on record, according to Time Magazine.
Throughout 2015, Sao Paulo, the biggest city in Brazil, experienced daily water shutoffs for 12 hours to conserve water. With sparser rainfalls, reservoirs are being drained to feed the cities and leaving mud behind.“Where I was, it was better,” said a returned missionary from Brazil, Justin Anderson from Washington. Even so, “We were still rationing water.”
In addition to the drought, a dam burst at an iron ore mine in southern Brazil on Nov. 5, according to Slate.com. Fifty million tons of highly toxic mud and mining waste spilled from the Mariana Dam, coating roads, covering houses, drowning animals in its way, and destroying drinking water for a quarter of a million people.
This accident was called the worst environmental disaster in Brazil’s history, reported Slate, killing 12 and injuring 75 others.“It happened because of negligence,” said Giulli Ferraz about the disaster, a senior from Brazil studying computer science.
“If they had been taking care of it properly, it wouldn’t have happened.”According to the Associated Press, the mining company responsible for the mudslide knew of the risk of it bursting since 2013.
First concerns about the mine’s safety appeared in the attorney general’s office in 2007. Now that it has happened, however, the dangers of this mudslide could last for a generation. It will contaminate waters in rivers and the Atlantic Ocean, killing the plants, fish, and animals, according to Slate.com. “The mud just killed the whole river,” said Anderson.
“Whole cities were evacuated after they lost everything. It was really devastating there...a lot of people depended on that for food.”The mud itself polluted 530 miles of rivers and waterways in two states in Brazil, spreading into the Atlantic Ocean. “The residuals are being moved through the water and spread to a lot of different places,” said Ferraz. “If it ever got to Rio, it would be so bad.”
Another affliction of the country is the outbreak of the mosquito-borne Zika virus, reported AP. Originating from Africa, it has been linked to the birth defect of microcephaly, where babies are born with unusually small heads, according to AP.
Ferraz knew this is a concern for people back at home, with two of her cousins scared that their expecting babies would be born with these defects. “Luckily, they both had their babies in the past two weeks and they’re fine,” she said.
Amid these disasters, Brazilians have expressed little faith in their government. “The government, there’s so much corruption,” said Ferraz. “The same thing happened with the World Cup...when they had to do something about it they did it. They just do things when it's convenient for them. It's not convenient for them to deal with all these issues right now.”
Asked if Brazil is ready for the Olympics, Ferraz replied, “If Brazil keeps showing that they’re not capable of even taking care of their basic needs, how are they going to be able to be responsible and take care of several other tourists that are going to come over and make sure they’re safe? That's how I feel about it.”
“They might be prepared for the Olympics, but that’s it,” said Oliveira.