FIFA’s selection of Brazil to host the 2014 cup championship seemed like one of the most logical decisions, considering that Brazil is perhaps the most devoted nation on earth to soccer, but the FIFA bureaucrats forgot to take the political pulse of this giant nation, victim of profound inequality, pervasive poverty, a barely functioning democracy and runaway corruption.
Published on Jun 14, 2014
Although it might have seemed like a good idea to host the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil — one of the most soccer-obsessed countries in the world — massive social unrest has taken the country by storm in the lead-up to the tournament.
The Brazilian government is spending an estimated $14 billion on this year’s tournament, making it the most expensive World Cup to date. This has provoked outrage among Brazilians, many of whom view the government as corrupt, and are now seeing vast amounts of money being spent on soccer stadiums and police, while the country’s endemic poverty and social issues are ignored.
A young man takes part in a demo against the FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014 at Copacabana beach, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on January 25, 2014. Brazil was bracing Saturday for a first wave of nationwide demonstrations against staging the World Cup after activists from the protest group Anonymous went on social media calling for action. (CHRISTOPHE SIMON/AFP/Getty Images)
This growing unrest led to violent anti-government protests breaking out in June of 2013, which have continued with increasing momentum in the lead-up to the World Cup. The Brazilian government has responded to these demonstrations by deploying massive numbers of police and military throughout the country in an attempt to suppress the masses. Despite this crackdown, major demonstrations continue to take place in cities across the country as international teams begin to arrive for the games.
VICE News traveled to Brazil to see how the country is preparing for one of the world’s biggest international events, while simultaneously struggling to control a mounting civil uprising.
RELATED: São Paulo Monorail Collapses Days Before World Cup Begins:http://bit.ly/1oRxhZ5
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