Just 76 days out from the 2016 Olympic Games opening ceremony, security is still towards the top of the list of concerns surrounding host city Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. As a case in point, just today, May 21st, 3 members of the Spanish Olympic sailing team were reportedly robbed at gunpoint in Santa Teresa, an area of Rio.
According to the Spanish Sailing Federation’s statement, Fernando Echavarri, Tara Pacheco and trainer Santi Lopez-Vazquez were confronted by 5 people armed with 2 pistols. No injuries were sustained, but a bag with money, documents and a camera were taken, Rio’s tourism police stated.
“It was a very unpleasant experience,” Lopez-Vazquez said. “There were five youths with two pistols. They took all the work equipment we were carrying at that time.”
The Spanish Federation stated, “Fernando, Tara and Santi want to forget what happened as quickly as possible and concentrate completely and exclusively on the training.”
“Lack of security in Rio is one of the points that worries the teams,” continued the Spanish Federation’s statement.
“Civil police are working to identify the authors of the crime and to recover the stolen objects,” said the police statement.
The members were in Rio training ahead of the Games, which kick off on August 5th.
In the realm of security, we reported last year that the state of Rio de Janeiro, which includes the city of Rio, saw a drop in murders in 2012, but homicides began rising again, jumping 21 percent to 4,939 people killed in 2014. At the time of our report, Rio de Janeiro Mayor, Eduardo Paes stated, “Security is an issue for our everyday life.”
In total, there have been over 40,000 murders in Rio de Janeiro over the past eight years, it is estimated. Distancing the violence from overall Games preparations, Paes further commented that, “this is not an issue about the Olympics. It’s an issue about us Cariocas [Rio residents] and the way we conduct our lives.”
Having lived in Rio for 3 years all I can say is you haven’t seen nothing yet…
“…were confronted by 5 people armed with 2 pistols.”
Whoa! Does that mean each perp had two pistols each?! Sort of like desperadoes.
Welcome to Brazil! This is one of the main reasons that I left Rio, and Brazil, for good last year. The media has been focusing too much on the “car wash”/Petrobras corruption scandal, the impeachment of the communist president and the Zika virus. But it has been extremely quiet about reporting the violence going on in that country, and the protection the government is giving to the criminals. If you still want to make tourism in Brazil, good luck!
The good news is that all of the checks have cleared for the “consulting fees” payable to the IOC members who voted to hold the Games in Rio.
Anyone else remember how there was a pretty serious crime problem during Pan Ams a few years back? IIRC, there were fans and athletes’ parents who got mugged in similar ways.
Again don’t go if you think you will be struck down by Ziika or now – murdered. The good news is that tourists get good publicity when done in & I presume athletes will get humungous PR if murdered .I cannot find the number of tourists killed by homicide
but the reality for visitors is that you are more likely to get killed in an Air France route over the Atlantic due to infighting pilots.
Statistically Chicago ‘s 2016 homicide rate ( 238 so far in 2016) pro rata to the state of Rio listed here would be (population 2.7million :16 million ) will be about 3,000. But one look at the Homicide Map in the Chicago Tribune sees… Read more »
Not sure I agree about Corporate Crime but Political corruption in Rio and Chicago are about the same. Rio might be in better shape financially.
Chicago’s 2015 murder rate is 7 per 100,000 and might be 8 for this year – Rio’s (as of last year) was 31. The report is correct that murders hit a 20-year-low in 2012 before mushrooming up in 2013 and ’14. 2015 was higher than 2012 but it’s the lowest since then. It’s unfortunately increased thus far this year, not sure if it’s as bad as 2014 which was really bad for recent years. It sounds about the same as 2013 but I haven’t had a good look.
The health care stuff is exaggerated and they’re very careful to count all shootings in Chicago. Even those with bb guns and air rifles. It wouldn’t make much difference and Rio’s murder… Read more »
In 2016 according to Neighbourhood Scout Chicago Heights has the highest homicide rate (per 100 thousand) in the whole USA of 30. This is what it would look like for visitors if Chicago were the Olympic city .
For just general violent crime Beaumont Texas is winning so far this year. So seemingly you might not get mugged in Chicago just murdered. But of course we know but cannot say WHO is getting murdered/shot .That a young girl went off to Obamas 2013 Ceremony from this district on official invitation & a few days after returning got shot dead -if this did not get a nationwide uproar -nothing will.
Well it wouldn’t because Chicago’s murder rate is 7.
Chicago’s always garnering nationwide (even global) uproar about violence. Not sure if you’re confusing it with another Chicago because it is the city of choice for violence news. It’s the more dangerous, overlooked cities which Chicago blocks out that concern me. Strange reporting, very strange….
Chicago is much safer than Rio. Forgive me for being finicky but I’m not sure what you’re getting at, are you seriously comparing the two? The comparison is nonsensical. Absolutely nothing would happen in Chicago and everyone knows it. If the games were suddenly switched to Chicago the hype machine would soon back off – because they know that nothing would happen! It’s very unlikely that… Read more »
Lord, our Olympians will need body guards to explore Rio. I would just stay in the village and never leave.
Locals are already Redeemed . They got the statue to prove it.
They probably will stay in the village and not leave, just looking at their Facebook and Twitter accounts.
Yes, and they also need to slather their bodies in insect repellent.
The Tokyo Olympics in 2020 will be a stark contrast to the Rio games in every way.