Oct 19, 2009 12:30 pm US/Central
Rio, Chicago's Olympic Foe, Explodes In Violence
Wave Of Weekend Fighting Leaves 14 Dead
LONDON (CBS) ―
Rio de Janeiro,
the city that edged out Chicago and two other cities for the 2016 Olympics, has a tough battle ahead combating security problems before the Games, the Brazilian city's mayor said Monday.
The challenges facing mayor Eduardo Paes since winning the Olympic vote earlier this month were underscored by a wave of violence in a city slum over the weekend that left at least 14 people dead.
"We never hid our problems during the bid process -- we always told people we had problems and we are facing the problems," Paes told the Global Sports Industry Summit in London. "We still have a lot to do, we have a long way to go and what happened this weekend showed that."
The issue of security hung over the International Olympic Committee's recent deliberations for the 2016 Games, but not just for Rio. Chicago's own problems with youth and gang violence cast a cloud over the Windy City's efforts to land the games, though the city's embarrassing first-round rejection on Oct. 2 was largely attributed to IOC politics. Still,
the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. wondered whether the high-profile beating death of an honor student hurt Chicago's chances.
In Rio, the firefight between rival drug gangs raged Saturday in the Morro dos Macacos ("Monkey Hill") shantytown about five miles southwest of one of the zones where the Olympics will be held in seven years.
During the gang battle, bullets hit a police helicopter hovering overhead and it crashed in a fireball onto a field, killing two officers and injuring four more.
Rio police were investigating Monday whether two more bodies discovered in the slum were targeted during the territorial battle.
Two years before the Olympics, Rio will host World Cup football matches, including the final at the Maracana stadium.
When Rio was chosen over Chicago, Madrid and Tokyo to host the Olympics in the Oct. 2 vote, its bid was the only one that pointed to security concerns.
"We are being tough with these problems," Paes said. "We are sure by 2016 we will deliver the games and hopefully in a way that the city will be more peaceful and secure for all our citizens.
"We worry about security for our citizens, for our everyday lives, for the visitors that come on a regular basis. That's our challenge and things are moving forward. ... The violence we face in Rio will be much, much better by 2016."
Craig Reedie, a member of the International Olympic Committee's executive board, said the significance of gang violence should not be overstated.
"Rio is a big city," Reedie told the conference. "I deeply regret what happened in Rio recently but I have to say that it pales into insignificance compared to what happened in London in 2005."
A day after London won the right to host the 2012 Olympics, four suicide bombers attacked the city's subway and bus network, killing 52 people.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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