In less than a month, the 2014 World Cup will commence in Brazil despite a great deal of reservation by the international community and local Brazilian. Now the Associated Press reports that Brazilian World Cup host city Manaus has declared a state of emergency after the waters of an Amazon River tributary started to swell. While officials do not believe there will be flooding, a 180-day state of emergency has been issued as a preventive measure.
According to Manaus city hall spokeswoman Jacira Oliveira, the state of emergency went into effect on Tuesday in order to guarantee efficient access to emergency resources should the Rio Negro flood the city. Oliveira adds that even if there is flooding, there should be no damage to the Arena Amazonia stadium, which will be hosting four games. Last week, FIFA President Sepp Blatter admitted that giving the Latin American country the opportunity to host the 2014 World Cup may have been a mistake after social protests against the international sporting event took place. "If this happens again we have to question whether we made the wrong decision awarding the hosting rights," said Blatter to German press agency DPA.
Brazilians have been vocalizing their discontent over the World Cup -- which has been estimated to cost more than the 2006 and 2010 games combined at a whopping $13.7 billion dollars -- as many are now homeless due to the games and are living illegally on land near the World Cup stadium. These homeless Brazilians are now living in poor conditions, with little food and no privacy using tarps and plastic bags as the foundation of their new residences because the construction of the arena has caused a hike in rent and have left them without a place to live.
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