Rio is Dangerous and the Police Can't (and Reportedly Won't) Protect You

The 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil are a month away and reports continue to pour in suggesting the city is not ready for the games. Venues remain unfinished and on a more human level, conditions remain unsafe in numerous ways. This morning CNN reported that Rio police haven’t been paid in months and are actually telling people to stay away. Via CNN:

"The message from police to tourists is clear: We won’t be able to protect you.The state’s police officers vented their anger last week with a sign saying “Welcome to Hell” outside Rio airport. “Police and firefighters don’t get paid, whoever comes to Rio de Janeiro will not be safe,” the sign said."

And that’s not going to START at the Olympics. It’s already going on as described in this article from The New York Times describing the problems in Rio.

"Work on the beach volleyball arena at Copacabana stalled because the organizers failed to get the proper environmental licenses. Then the structure was damaged by waves. Workers erected a six-foot-high sand barrier to protect the site. It also protects thugs; tourists are being mugged behind it. A construction worker told me he’d seen a man stabbed there, and warned me to stay away. The robbers were so comfortable that they had left their backpacks and a beach chair nearby on the sand. "

And then there are the environmental threats to both athletes and fans. In addition to concerns about the Zika virus, scientists have discovered a super bacteria in the water.

"Among the beaches flagged were Flamengo and Botafogo, which border the bay where Olympic sailors are scheduled to compete. “It’s a nice sailing area but every time you get some water in your face, it feels like there’s some alien enemy entering your face,” German Paralympic sailor Heiko Kroger said during a recent visit to Rio. “I keep my nose and my lips closed.” Kroger believes the super bacteria may have caused a severe skin infection in one of his teammates during recent training."

Do not go to the Rio Olympics.