You can read the original of this article and other postings in Katerina’s own blog here.
“What could be robbed has already been stolen”. So goes a recent and famous repost by Joana Havelange, an Executive of the Local Organising Committee, about the World Cup and corruption. This more or less sets the tone of the current national mood concerning the World Cup, and Brazilian newspapers are guessing that this neat sound bite might turn into a slogan for the entire event.
As Brazil launched into what will be one of the biggest events the country has seen in years, there’s a bubbling sensation akin to a match-box that’s waiting to strike up into one big ball of fire – suddenly and fiercely. #NãoVaiTerCopa, “No World Cup”, has engraved itself into social media sites and can be seen as graffiti on the walls of host cities across Brazil. Instead of eliciting joy and excitement, the World Cup has put Brazil on tenterhooks.
Some of the most expensive shiny new stadiums have been built in host cities that don’t even have a decent football team like Brasília, Manaus and Cuiabá. Locals wonder who will foot the bill for maintenance costs and if they will ever fill the stadiums again after the event. Built to world-class, expensive FIFA standards, the legacy of the World Cup stadiums remains unclear, given many will be handed over to the private sector, therefore losing the opportunity for public-centred activities within the stadiums. As urbanist and academic Christopher Gaffney points out on his blog, “of the nine stadiums fully constructed with public money, seven have been handed over to Public Private Partnerships and Manaus and Cuiabá are desperately trying to find elephant trainers. Why doesn’t the government demand that these stadiums have public schools or emergency care centers inside them? Why can´t we make them multi-functional, integrated elements of the social and urban fabrics?”.
Katerina Elias-Trostmann is a Brazilian blogger. She has lived in London and has an MSc in Environmental Technology from Imperial College, London. Now back in Brazil, she writes: “I am a researcher for a sustainability think tank, currrently living and working in São Paulo. I do research on sustainable cities and in my personal life I dabble in urban gardening, explore Afro-Brazilian culture, and am learning about the universe that is Brazilian music. The megacity of São Paulo is going through transformational change, as are other cities across Brazil, which makes living here so exciting. I will try to blog about this transformation, and what it means for Brazilians.”
Ivory tower stadiums, with little connection to their environment
Across host cities, World Cup stadiums pierce the cityscape like shiny ivory towers, oddly unfitting to the surrounding environment. Whilst in Fortaleza for work, I took a taxi from the airport into town. We drove straight past the stadium; it was impressive, and so was one of the main avenues that had been completely demolished, now just a river of mud and dirt, months behind schedule. The airport terminal promised for the World Cup was also a mere pile of bricks with some lead sticking out of foundation pillars. “So is that piece of junk going to be delivered as promised after the World Cup?” the taxi driver said as he jerked his thumb at the sort-of-started-but-not-really new airport terminal, “it probably won’t, like the rest of the stuff they promised”.Some of the most expensive shiny new stadiums have been built in host cities that don’t even have a decent football team like Brasília, Manaus and Cuiabá. Locals wonder who will foot the bill for maintenance costs and if they will ever fill the stadiums again after the event. Built to world-class, expensive FIFA standards, the legacy of the World Cup stadiums remains unclear, given many will be handed over to the private sector, therefore losing the opportunity for public-centred activities within the stadiums. As urbanist and academic Christopher Gaffney points out on his blog, “of the nine stadiums fully constructed with public money, seven have been handed over to Public Private Partnerships and Manaus and Cuiabá are desperately trying to find elephant trainers. Why doesn’t the government demand that these stadiums have public schools or emergency care centers inside them? Why can´t we make them multi-functional, integrated elements of the social and urban fabrics?”.
Building the courage to protest
During the opening match of the World Cup, Dilma and Blatter from FIFA were welcomed by voracious booing that filled the stadium. Yet Fans showed with equal vigour their love and support for their national team. That the stadium played host to both booing and support demonstrates Brazilians’ love-hate relationship with the World Cup. The national and international protest against FIFA has reached such as extent that the organisation felt obliged to publish an FAQ that aims to clarify accusations directed at FIFA, which fails to mention important drivers such as the FIFA standards for stadiums, which cater to luxury and result in expensive stadiums. Brazilians are fed up and are slowly but surely gaining courage to show it – including on President Dilma’s Twitter page (a great introductory lesson in Brazilian insults and offensive humour). In this new republic that’s still acclimatising to democracy, Brazilians are reclaiming public space and growing their collective voice, despite facing police brutality. And Brazilians have legitimate reasons to welcome their President with such hostility – with São Paulo’s population facing a severe water shortage crisis, 7 million people lacking basic sanitation, less than 20% of all committed infrastructure projects completed, and a government and police force that is getting ready to treat protestors as terrorists, it’s unlikely we’re all going to be samba-ing our way to the stadiums. In the face of such issues, a World Cup hardly seems a priority, yet the government continues to invest more in stadiums than public health or education.An Opportunity Lost and Cost?
The World Cup was an opportunity for the “country of the future” to finally break through the “developing ranks”, emerge and shine amongst the new world. Brazilians were excited with the long list of promises attached to the World Cup. So whilst this event could have spurred growth, completed much-needed infrastructure projects and provided basic services to a growing middle class, Brazilians feel that they have been let down once again. With a history of corruption, Brazilians sense they have been robbed yet again. Undelivered commitments and empty promises fuelled the social unrest we saw last year in June. With an upcoming national election in October after 12 years of PT rule (Worker’s Party), this World Cup isn’t about football; it’s more than a sporting event. This World Cup is a politically defining moment for Brazilian power structures and society, and is the Brazilian people’s opportunity to take on greater political driving force.Katerina Elias-Trostmann is a Brazilian blogger. She has lived in London and has an MSc in Environmental Technology from Imperial College, London. Now back in Brazil, she writes: “I am a researcher for a sustainability think tank, currrently living and working in São Paulo. I do research on sustainable cities and in my personal life I dabble in urban gardening, explore Afro-Brazilian culture, and am learning about the universe that is Brazilian music. The megacity of São Paulo is going through transformational change, as are other cities across Brazil, which makes living here so exciting. I will try to blog about this transformation, and what it means for Brazilians.”