Around the Rings Rio Bureau chief Aaron Bauer flew with the Rio 2016 Olympic flame from Lausanne, Switzerland to Brasilia, Brazil to kick off the Rio 2016 torch relay across the host country.
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Rousseff echoed the sentiments of Carlos Arthur Nuzman, President of the Brazilian Olympic Committee, when she declared that the Games should act as a symbol of unity and peace.
The Olympic torch has arrived in Brazil, marking the start of a 95-day journey that will end at Rio’s Maracana stadium in August for the Olympic Games opening ceremony.
According to UNHCR, the family made a decision to leave for Brazil under the country’s special humanitarian visa program. However, “Brazil will provide the very best reception for athletes and foreign visitors because we have created the conditions for this”, she said.
The Olympic flame arrived in Brasilia May 3 aboard a flight from Geneva to embark on a procession across Brazil culminating in the opening ceremony of the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro. “We know about the political instability”. Brazil will be capable in a hard period, a very hard, critical period in the history of our democracy of dealing with the problems….
The president is facing an eventual impeachment process against her. now the case is being analyzed by the Senate and if they decide to continue with the process, Rousseff could be removed from office for 180 days to allow for a thorough investigation.
The next few weeks will reveal whether travelers decide to put aside fears about the country’s political, economic, security and health situations and book tickets to the “marvelous city” of Rio for the Summer Olympics.
The first torchbearer was double gold-medal winning volleyball player Fabiana Claudino, who set off on the first leg through the capital after the torch was ignited by Rousseff. So far, some 8,000 visas have been issued by the Brazilian authorities.
Torch bearer Gerard Moss, a Swiss-Brazilian aviator and environmentalist, said the Games could help to calm political tempers.
The event came at the end of the first day of the Torch Relay following its arrival on Brazilian soil this morning.
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The impeachment trial and a definitive Senate vote on Rousseff’s fate could take months, during which time the 68-year-old will be on half pay, still living at the presidential residence, although ejected from the executive offices. If you would like to discuss another topic, look for a relevant article.
