President Michelle Bachelet and President-elect Sebastian Piñera both acknowledged Saturdays’ earthquake would have serious ramifications for the country’s economy and employment.

While immediate effects of the earthquake are still being measured — an estimated 800 were killed and more than 1 million are now homeless, many are only now receiving food, water and supplies — Chile has started to evaluate the effects the quake will have on different economic sectors.

The Wall Street Journal reported the Chilean stock market index opened 2.5 percent lower Monday and saw losses through Wednesday. Thursday saw the first gains since the earthquake hit, although there is expected to be much volatility in the coming days.

Despite fears of serious losses to one of Chile’s growing export sector, wine, the industry’s promotion agency, Wines of Chile, said the impact of Saturday’s 8.8-magnitude earthquake was “limited” and expects producers will meet export commitments without major problems.

After days evaluating affected wineries, they determined the total loss at 125 million liters, valued at approximately US$250 million. The losses including aging, bottled and bulk wine, and represent 12.5 percent of the 1.01 billion liters produced in 2009.

Wines of Chile president Rene Merrino reported infrastructure damage varied among wineries and is still being evaluated, but vineyards were largely unaffected. The harvest is just beginning and Merrino does not expect volumes to be affected by the earthquake.

In contrast, the tourism industry has been hit hard. Bringing in nearly US$10 billion in 2009, tourism represents about 3.5 percent of Chile’s GDP. Many countries – including the United States – have issued travel alerts for the whole of Chile, advising nationals to avoid any unessential travel in the country.

Tour operators, hostel owners and officials from the government tourism office SERNATUR met Thursday to discuss the impact on the industry and define strategies to move forward. Cybertour General Director Francisco Leal attended the meeting and told the Santiago Times it was important to get people from all sides of the industry up-to-speed.

“It’s important to get the message out that not all of Chile is like the images shown in the media,” said Leal. “Santiago is still open for business, the north and far south that have little or no impact.”

After 8.8-magnitude quake hits the country Saturday, government estimates more than 2 million have been affected, writes The Santiago Times.

The death toll from Saturday’s devastating earthquake more than doubled Sunday to 700, sparking fears the true effects of the quake have yet to be measured.

Communication to the areas worst hit, especially Concepcion, Constitucion, Talca and Chillan, is nearly impossible; some desperately trying to reach family and friends have resorted to using radio channels.

An 8.8-magnitude earthquake rocked the country early Saturday morning, during what should have been the last hurrah of Chile’s summer vacation.

Yesterday, Sunday, the government estimated at least 700 dead and more than 2 million affected — many were left homeless, without water, electricity or communication to the outside world.  Reports have been limited to government statements and limited video images coming out of the area.

The epicentre of the quake, which struck just after 3:30 a.m. Saturday, was in the Bio-Bio area (Region VIII), more than 200 miles south of Chile’s capital city, Santiago.

Communities on the Pacific coast were hardest hit with whole neighbourhoods destroyed, hundreds of casualties and many reported to be trapped. The death toll is expected to climb.

The immediate effects were widely felt — most of the country was awoken early Saturday to the tremor, with several buildings collapsing in the capital city, including a parking lot which flattened, crushing around 50 cars between levels. Highways cracked, overpasses and bridges fell and Santiago’s airport suffered damaged and was forced to close, forcing incoming flights to divert to Argentina or Peru.  Churches and museums were also damaged, the streets covered in loose concrete and glass.

Chile’s current president Michelle Bachelet called for calm and declared a “state of catastrophe.”

“We’re doing everything we can with all the forces we have. Any information we will share immediately,” she said.

Bachelet and the President-elect Sebastian Piñera – who takes office March 11 – both flew south by helicopter to assess the damage.

Strong aftershocks, some up to 6 points on the Richter scale, continued into Sunday; dozens were recorded. Many people, even in Santiago, were reportedly too afraid to return to their homes and slept outside. Many city services got back on line as of Sunday evening, however, including Santiago’s metro service. And a limited number of flights were allowed to land at the international airport.

Meanwhile, at least 100 people continue to be trapped in a 14-storey building in Concepcion; more than 40 were already rescued as of Sunday morning. Elsewhere in the city, the large superstore Lider was looted for food, water, and electronics. And more than 200 prisoners escaped a prison in nearby Chillan.

Back in Santiago, many shelves were emptied of water late Saturday. Long queues outside call centers in the capital poured out into the streets, people trying to reach relatives in the south. But most cellphone networks were down and communication with those in the affected areas was nearly impossible.

Many countries immediately pledged aid — U.S. secretary of state Hillary Clinton has left the U.S. and was expected to arrive in Chile within a day on a previously scheduled visit — however Chile has not yet formally asked for foreign aid.

Read more here.

In Bolivia we have a case truly emblematic of the times we live in. It seems beyond doubt that this poor nation of central South America is very rich in lithium, a metal that presently is reputed to be the best for the production of batteries. Today, batteries are ubiquitous, but will become extremely vital if and when they become the sole source of power for cars. One advantage of lithium is that it is the lightest (or the second lightest) among metals. Bolivia’s salt flats hide vast deposits of said ore, which elsewhere on earth does exist, but not in as concentrated an area as the four-thousand sq mile area in Southern Bolivia. Somebody has remarked that this country is the Saudi Arabia of lithium.

Presumably, Bolivian experts have long been aware of their resource, but in the past did not possess the money and the know-how to mine and process the raw lithium carbonate. Recently, the La Paz government of President Evo Morales has built a pilot plant on the edge of Salar de Uyùni, near the border with Chile, not far from the Potosì area. Potosì’s mines were so rich as to provide Spain fabulous loads of silver.

In the past two centuries, Bolivia has been lacking both a colonial master and a national economy advanced enough to develop lithium (and, of course, batteries only emerged in the 20th century). A number of car manufacturers, including Toyota, seem to have failed in securing rights on the mineral. President Morales looks firm in his mission to create a state lithium industry advanced enough to supply the world’s batteries. By the way, the government of Colombia too appears to be doing well in the projects to develop its abundant minerals.

It’s conceivable that other deserts or dry, salty areas of the world, namely in Africa, hold minerals of some value. Several reasons explain why the latter have not been exploited, even discovered. Technological trends come first. Regarding Bolivia, before well into the twenties of past century batteries were not in demand, so lithium was neglected. Still, factors such as poverty and backwardness were even more decisive. So, undeveloped countries must either empower aggressive rulers who can learn from President Morales, or forget nationalistic rhetoric of sovereignty, in order to attract foreign investment.

What is really mandatory is that natural resources are processed locally, with the highest possible labor content. Mechanization and automation are not imperative where wages  (to be absolutely raised) are very low. The grave misdeed of past colonialism was mining and taking away commodities, so subjected populations got almost no benefit. Even more important is denying local politicians or chieftains the possibility of stealing the wealth created by development. This problem is enormous- this is why in many former colonies’ victories on poverty are not compatible with national sovereignty. Part of the latter must be dislodged by humanitarian neocolonialism, the very opposite of historic colonialism.

Police and army offers patrolled the abandoned streets of the Suriname border town of Albina. Burnt out cars, a hotel lying in ruins, and looted shops bore silent witness to the bloody riots the town experienced this Christmas, reports NRC Handelsblad.

Wide spread violence raged through the town after a dispute between an Albina man locally acknowledged as a criminal and a Brazilian prospector escalated on Christmas Eve. The local man, who died of wound inflicted during a knife-fight, was the first of an unconfirmed eight deadly victims over the weekend.

Albina is a town of several thousand souls, located on the west bank of the Maroni River, which marks the border between Suriname and French Guyana. It is home to a native population of mostly maroon people, descendants of runaway African slaves brought to Suriname long ago by Dutch traders.

After the killing, hundreds of locals maroons took to Albina’s streets, wielding axes and other weapons. They directed their aggression at the Brazilians and other foreigners living in their town, including Chinese shop owners. Thirteen people were injured and twenty Brazilian women were raped and battered.

“This stuff recalls the Rwandan genocide. And it is happening right here in our own beautiful Suriname,” a radio reporter cried out during a broadcast. “Emotions are running rampant and the authorities are nowhere to be seen,” the reporter said.

Public response to the riots was one of shock, but the events could hardly have come as a complete surprise. Albina has long been a hotbed of unrest, violence, and lawlessness. Still, no one had expected that the usually so peaceful nation of Suriname would be facing a Christmas marked by murder, violence and rape.

Colombian and Venezuelan Presidents Uribe and Chavez

Dominican President Leonel Fernandez has agreed to mediate a dispute between the governments of Venezuela and Colombia stemming from the latter’s basing deal with the United States, the office of the president said Wednesday.

Fernandez said he accepted a request made by Colombian counterpart Alvaro Uribe at a private meeting held during the 19th Ibero-American Summit, which concluded Tuesday in Estoril, Portugal.

The Dominican president announced his decision in France, where he is on an official visit.

Fernandez said the Dominican Republic, “due to its geographical position and its friendship with its neighbors, has been a mediator in regional conflicts on other occasions.”

“We maintain very close ties of friendship with (Communist) Cuba, (socialist) Venezuela, but also with (conservative governments in) Colombia, Panama, in other words, with all the countries in the region, which has allowed us to play a mediatory role in solving political and diplomatic disputes that have come up in the region at different times,” Fernandez said.

Speaking to some 25 members of the French lower house’s foreign relations committee, Fernandez referred to a diplomatic spat last year involving Colombia, Venezuela and leftist-led Ecuador.

That dispute stemmed from a March 2008 Colombian bombing raid on a clandestine camp of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, guerrilla group in Ecuadorian territory, an attack that killed 25 people, including rebel second-in-command Raul Reyes.

Read more here.

Venezuelan soldiers on Thursday blew up two makeshift foot bridges that stretched across the border to Colombia in the latest incident to stoke a diplomatic dispute between the Andean neighbors.

Colombia’s government criticized the destruction of the bridges as an aggression and a violation of international law, which it would denounce at the United Nations and the Organization of American States in Washington.

The long-simmering Andes spat has been mostly limited to diplomatic barbs in the past. But the current crisis is raising the risk of more violence along the volatile frontier where rebels, drug gangs and and smugglers operate.

General Eusebio Aguero, Venezuela’s army commander in the Tachira border region, ordered his soldiers to destroy the bridges using explosives. He said the crossings were unauthorized and used for illegal activities.

“They are two foot bridges that paramilitary fighters used, where gasoline and drug precursors were smuggled, subversive groups entered,” he told reporters, adding that several other bridges would be destroyed. “They are not considered in any international treaty.”

Colombian Defense Minister Gabriel Silva said troops from the Venezuelan army arrived in trucks and dynamited the bridges that cross into Colombia’s Norte de Santander department.

The Colombian Foreign Ministry said in a statement: “This is a unilateral act and an aggression against the civilian population and the frontier communities.”

Read more here.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Venezuela accused over bridges (news.bbc.co.uk)
• Venezuela blows up border bridges with Colombia (guardian.co.uk)
• Venezuela ups border security after 10 slayings (seattletimes.nwsource.com)

On October 12, Juan Pablo Escobar, the son of drug kingpin Pablo Escobar, who now goes by the name of Sebastián Marroquín, presented a documentary that could also be understood as a subtle way of making amends in his father’s name, a man considered to be Colombia’s most feared criminal of all times. In the documentary, Marroquín asks the sons of presidential candidate Luis Carlos Galán and the country’s former minister of justice Rodrigo Lara Bonilla, both murdered by his father in the 1980’s, for forgiveness.

According to those who have seen the movie, the documentary is far from being a defense of Escobar. The title alone, My Father’s Sins, is a telling clue. Last week, vía CNN, many saw a preview of a very symbolic scene. Sitting in a park bench in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Juan Pablo (Sebastian) and the son of Rodrigo Lara Bonilla, senator Rodrigo Lara Restrepo, appear to be having a conversation. To understand the power of this image, we must rewind 25 years, when minister Lara Bonilla, in agony after being shot by Escobar’s hit men, reached his house and was greeted by his eight-year-old son. He immediately helped his father into a car and went with him to the hospital, where he later passed away.

Read more here.

The Colombian Attorney General’s Office said Monday that it re-opened an investigation into Vice President Francisco “Paco” Santos for alleged ties to murderous right-wing militias, reports the Latin American Herald Tribune.

Acting Attorney General Guillermo Mendoza Diago told Bogota radio stations that prosecutor Fernando Pareja exercised his prerogative to overturn an earlier decision to shelve the probe.

Pareja decided that he needed to see more evidence before making a decision on the merits of the accusations and ordered the investigation resumed “so the doubts are completely dispelled,” Mendoza said.

Santos – a former journalist whose family runs Colombia’s largest newspaper, El Tiempo – said in a statement issued by his office that he respected the prosecutor’s decision and was prepared “to cooperate in all the investigations.”

At the same time, he demanded “a quick and effective investigation” that is not subject to political exploitation by “those who have more interest in discrediting the government than in the right of the victims and the country to the truth.”

“It hurts and surprises me that those who know my career and principles can believe that I could have been behind the formation of a paramilitary bloc in any part of the country,” Santos said.

The AG office took a second look at the allegations against Santos at the request of the independent Commission of Colombian Jurists.

Read our exclusive coverage of the Colombian ‘Falsos Positivos’ scandal written by journalist Simone Bruno.

Members of the pro-CDU Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS) conducted an international press review in the aftermath of the German elections. The following is a summary of the reactions on the German election outcome. Additional reactions and opinions on the fate of the other parties are omitted.

USA

The US press is mainly concerned with the future German commitment to the mission in Afghanistan and possible economic reforms.

For instance the Wall Street Journal expressed its satisfaction with the results stressing Germany’s move towards market reform and “continuity in German foreign policy, including on Afghanistan, where the FDP is expected to continue to support Germany’s troop presence, while calling for an exit strategy in the medium term”.

The New York Times instead seems to be more critical about what can be expected from the new coalition government with respect to market reforms: “Rising budget deficits as a result of the economic crisis have drastically limited the kind of tax cuts on which the would-be coalition partners [FDP] campaigned.” Moreover, concerning Afghanistan, the New York Times expects a reopening of the debate on German military involvement. However, “analysts do not expect immediate change or a call for a quick removal of German troops.”

The Washington Post expects difficult times for the CDU-FDP coalition since Merkel’s Christian Democrats are likely to be reluctant towards realizing the Free Democrats’ plans for market reform. According to the Washington Post, the CDU will have to face a strong coalition partner which might become an obstacle for smooth cooperation.

Finally, the LA Times expresses its faith in the continuation of Germany’s commitment in Afghanistan even though the decision is unpopular with Germans.

Latin America

Reactions from Latin America were relatively reserved.

It is worth mentioning that, overall, the results were interpreted as a “movement to the right” (KAS). According to KAS, Merkel’s re-election was especially welcomed by the Venezuelan opposition. Instead, the Chilean press attributes Merkel’s success more to the good results of the FDP.

Concerning Germany’s relations to Latin America, no major changes are expected. In Peru, the press did not even mention anything with respect to a future outlook in German-Peruvian or German-Latin American relations. In the Mexican press a view was expressed that Latin America was not a “global player”. That is why Germany had no interest in the South American continent.

Rather, Germany is expected to focus on Afghanistan and economic recovery. In Chile, it is believed that the CDU’s and FDP’s respective programs have much in common. As a result, governing will be relatively smooth. By contrast, the Brazilian press maintains that the CDU-FDP government will have to face a strong opposition which, in turn, will render economic and social reforms more difficult.

Africa

The KAS conducted press reviews only in South Africa and Namibia, therefore it is questionable how representative the opinions are for the whole continent.

Apparently, the reception of the German elections was relatively low in both countries. In South Africa, the second Africa South America Summit (ASA) received more interest. However, KAS observers have reported that the general reception of the election results were ranging from neutral to slightly positive. Moreover, changes in German-South African relations are not expected.

Namibia’s German-language Newspaper “Die Tageszeitung” focused on the consequences of the elections on German-Namibian development cooperation, which is expected to remain stable.

Middle East

Also, the Middle East was not covered fully by the KAS press review.

With respect to the Arab press, it was reported that the Egyptian provided background information on the German elections. Only the “tabloid press” (KAS) published an opinion describing chancellor Merkel as “the most powerful women in the world”. Moreover, it was said that the outcome is more favorable to the US than to Russia. Differently, in the United Arab Emirates a clear line in German foreign policy concerning Iran was demanded and hopes for a global economic impetus expressed.

Reactions from Israel were documented in more detail. In general, the media  did not pay much attention to German elections. Nevertheless, the results did not remain unobserved.

According to KAS, Merkel has many sympathizers in Israel. Her stance on Israel is recognized as being favorable to Israel.

The newspaper Jedioth Aharonot is said to reacted enthusiastically on Merkel’s re-election. The chancelloris perceived as a “friend of Israel“ who does not blindly except all policy decisions of the Israeli government. With respect to Iran she has shown a clear position. Most importantly, Merkel is one of the few European politicians that accepted that Israel is threatened by radical Islam.

Similarily, the Jerusalem Post welcomes the next Merkel government. By contrast, the newspaper is more critical with the leader of new coalition party, Guido Westerwelle, who is seen as less Israel-friendly. For instance in 2006, Westerwelle spoke against  German participation at the UN Mission (UNSCR 1701) to disarm Hezbollah. In general, it is perceived that the FDP’s economic orientation favors good relations with Iran and the Arab world. It is remembered that in 1984 former FDP foreign minister Hans Dietrich Gentscher was the first European foreign minister seeking economic and political relations with Iran after the Islamic Revolution.

On the contrary, the newspaper Haaretz perceives Westerwelle as more Israel friendly than the Jerusalem Post. Further, Haaretz expects the CDU-FDP coalition to introduce liberal reforms and a clear pro-American foreign policy including measures to reduce antisemitism.

Asia

According to KAS, Asian countries showed divided opinions on the formation of a new CDU-FDP government.

In India, the media published mainly positive comments. In India, a German CDU-FDP leadership is often brought into relation with positive experience under earlier CDU-FDP coalitions, such as the ones under former chancellor Helmut Kohl. In Addition, this years election results were interpreted as the people’s preference for economic stability.

Differently, the Chinese Global Times focused more on the future of Sino-German relations. Earlier, this newspaper had reported about a worsening in bilateral relations. On the occasion of the German elections it cited political science professor Gerd Langguth who maintains that Merkel’s government is interested in good relations with China. Moreover, the newspaper expects the coalition will not work smoothly due to the CDU’s movement to the left over the last four years.

The Chinese version of the Global Times (Hanqiu Shibao) as well as the Guangming Daily, both directed by the Central Committee, do not expect any changes in German foreign policy. In particular, it is maintained that 90% of the parliamentarians will vote in favor of the Afghanistan mission despite the fact that 60% of the German population are against that decision. Other than the Indian media, both newspapers sustain that the coming CDU-FDP coalition differs from those of earlier times. Over the coming years, it will have to face several challenges, such as a strong opposition composed of the SPD, the Green Party,  and the leftist party (Die Linke). It is further believed that Merkel will most  likely reveal her true face as an “iron lady”.

The official newspaper of the Communist Party, the Renmin Ribao comments that the new German government has moved to the right, and will therefore be less social. In its Tuesday’s edition the newspaper asked why Merkel was re-elected. The answer given was that the Germans have an inflexible mentality. Moreover, having a PhD in Physics, Merkel possesses a reputation as an intellectual person, and as the first female German chancellor with roots in East-Germany, many women in the eastern parts voted for her.

The KAS press review in Japan has not been fully updated yet, but, according to sources of the KAS, Japanese media will most probably focus on German nuclear energy policy as well as economic policy in the near future.

Europe

Different reactions were recorded in EU member states as well as non-EU countries.

The British press generally welcomed the election-results which it sees as a continuity in Germany’s foreign policy. Above all, the British media hope for economic reforms and speculate about Germany’s future energy policy. Furthermore, the British press sees the possibility that the opposition will challenge Merkel’s government’s position on Afghanistan and Iran.

For the French media, the  election results were not unexpected. However, the press is aware that a new CDU government would not have been possible without the FDP. This, in turn, gives the FDP a strong negotiation position. In general, most newspapers welcome Merkel’s re-election. Only the newspaper “Liberación” speaks of a “German paradox” meaning that exactly at the hight of a global crisis of neoliberal policies the liberal FDP gets into government.

Germany’s neighboring country Poland welcomes a CDU-led government. Positive effects on German-Polish relations are expected. Yet, Poland is mostly hoping for Germany’s quick economic recovery and more protection against Russia.

Similarly, most Eastern and Central European countries, for instance Bulgaria, Latvia, or Czech Republic, wish for a relaunching of the German economy.

The Spanish press instead expressed a critical view on the consequences of a CDU-FDP-led German government on EU policies which are believed to become more conservative and less socially oriented.

Similarly to France, the election results were not surprising for the Media in the BENELUX countries. There was a general welcoming of CDU-FDP coalition. However, some doubts were expressed with respect to the compatibility of CDU and FDP programs. It is held that governing will not be easier than during Grand Coalition.

Instead, non-EU countries such as Turkey and Serbia concentrated more on the consequences of a German CDU-FDP government on their prospects of future EU membership. In Turkey, it is feared that the CDU will speak against a possible Turkish EU membership. By contrast, in Serbia, one counts on German support against the Dutch “No” to the EU Stabilization and Association Agreement with Serbia. The CDU-FDP coalition stands for continuity, thus meaning continued support for Serbia’s future EU membership.

When Ricardo Terra Teixeira, the President of the Local Organizing Committee of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil, and a member of the FIFA Executive Committee and the President of the Brazilian Football Association (CBF) nonetheless, said “This announcement is not the end of a process; it is anything but” as soon as Brazil knew the names of the 12 host cities for the soccer World Cup back in May, he could hardly think that one of the host cities of his native country would also get the right to organize the 2016 Olympic Games four months later and at the third attempt (its candidacy had been rejected in 2004 and 2012). Things were clear as soon as the IOC (International Olympic Committee) chose Rio de Janeiro: “The soccer World Cup won’t get in the way” said the visibly moved Brazilian president Luis Ignacio Lula Da Silva (aged 63) “but it will rather help the Olympics to improve and get better.”

This has yet to be seen, especially because the main worry now is that, even if many of the Olympic spots will be up and running by 2016 thanks to the FIFA World Cup, this other event may cast a shadow over sponsors and in general over marketing and communication strategies.

Rio in fact has a 14.5 million dollars budget (2.2 billion operating budget) to spend on the 23 new sport facilities they need to build in 7 years time. Just ten have already been built. The 33 sport facilities will be distributed in four different parts of the city: Barra, Copacabana, Maracana and Deodoro. And the four areas will all be connected between each other through public and special transports, according to the organizers.

But the main challenges are the transportation and hotel facilities and not the sport venues. Public transportation is just too poor for Rio’s 6,093,472 inhabitants. Imagine for the supporters who will travel to Brazil. Only one of the two underground lines runs fully underground (Line 1 orange). The other (Line 2 green) runs almost completely over ground. Yes, the stations number 33 with 2 under construction but the once-Brazilian capital (from between 1822 and 1960) definitely needs to improve before 2016 (it will be 451 years old by that time) under this point of view. No need to say the hotel facilities need to be improved as well. Some thought to place six ocean liners at the Bahia de Guanabara to fill the gap, but the idea just didn’t sound great.

Security is another big issue. The percentage of robberies has decreased from 39 to 33 every 100,000 inhabitants but that’s still a huge figure in comparison to Tokyo or Madrid, which were two of the other candidate cities (the English magazine Monocle did not place them by chance 3rd and 12th respectively in the most livable cities index list). Chicago maybe is a bit more dangerous but the Windy City is altogether a different story, considering all the Obama-drama that enfolded in Denmark. Lady Michelle and Oprah Winfrey tried to gain as many votes as possible, but when you go to the Opera and then make IOC members (who were the ones who were supposed to vote) wait for 40 minutes before you leave the theatre, well that’s not the best you can do to get their sympathy to be honest. Besides, the majority of people in Chicago weren’t really on their side, as a Chicago Tribune survey demonstrated (just 47% were in favor). And when you see thousands gathering in Madrid’s Plaza de Oriente and in Rio’s Copacabana beach, you understand that the people support is too important in these cases.

WHERE WILL THE MONEY COME FROM?

Rio de Janeiro will benefit from several sources of income. Eike Batista, a Brazilian entrepreneur and the wealthiest person in Brazil according to Forbes, has already landed almost 11,6 million dollars for the entire project and Globo TV signed a $210 million contract before the IOC took the decision in Copenhagen last Friday. Besides, the Brazilian economy is the only one  of the G-20 countries which actually grew in 2008.

So, for the first time South America will host the Olympic Games. Now only Africa is missing. Who knows, in 2024 (because in 2020 Europe will definitely host the Games, considering the unwritten law of the countries’ rotation) South Africa may have proved an important test bed at the 2010 soccer World Cup.

HOW DID THEY CHANGE THEIR MIND?

Looking at the numbers below, one may wonder how come the IOC members turned to the Brazilian cause if they rated Rio de Janeiro as the worst city before the poll? Quite simply Brazilian soccer legend Pelé, the former FIFA president Joao Havelange and the popular president Lula sent IOC members several letters in order to persuade them that a country made up of 180 million young people could have all the means to arrange the Olympic Games. It worked out fine.

OLYMPICS FACTS
IOC evaluation before the final poll:
Tokyo:            8,6
Madrid    :        8,4
Chicago:        7,4
Rio de Janeiro:    6,4

Bookmakers’ favorites:
Chicago    Rio        Tokyo        Madrid
BETFAIR            1,75        3,15        15,6        12,5
LADBROKES        1,80        2,62        9,00        -
BWIN                1,95        2,55        13,0        6,00
CANBET            1,72        2,88        11,0        12,0
BUJE                8/11        2/11        7/1        10/1
CENTREBET            1,73        2,65        9,00        15,0
INTERWETTEN        1,90        3,15        6,50        5,50
888 SPORT            1,73        3,00        9,00        11,0
BETBRAIN            1,72        2,75        9,00        15,0
JETTBULL            1,60        3,00        5,50        10,0
PADDYPOWER        1,53        2,80        10,0        17,0
MYBET            1,75        2,90        9,00        12,0

How did the voting go:
First Round
Madrid        28 votes
Rio        26
Tokyo        22
Chicago    18

Second Round
Rio        46
Madrid        29
Tokyo        20

Third Round
Rio        66
Madrid        32

Posted by our contributor Federico Farcomeni