Lula: It is a victory for Latin America

Lula's reaction: -- "Rio de Janeiro has soul, has heart ..."

14:10 - DEPORTES

Lula: "Es una victoria de América latina"

El presidente de Brasil, Lula Da Silva, se mostró emocionado frente a la elección de Río de Janeiro como sede de los Juegos Olímpicos del 2016, agradeció a todos los funcionarios de su gobierno que lo hicieron posible y dijo que es "una victoria de América latina".

"Río de Janeiro tiene alma, tiene corazón", subrayó Lula al compararla con el resto de las candidatas a organizar los Juegos.

El mandatario dijo que su país organizará en 2016 en Río de Janeiro los mejores Juegos Olímpicos que haya visto el mundo. "Vamos a probar que el alma generosa de los brasileños llevará a cabo los más extraordinarios Juegos que este mundo haya visto", prometió Lula en declaraciones a medios brasileños en la capital danesa.

El jefe de Estado señaló además que el de hoy "es un día sagrado" para él, y luego, entre sonrisa, indicó que ahora merecía "descansar".


Chicago was eliminated in the first round. Obama took Oprah, who is not known outside the U.S.,
to make his pitch.

Lula took Pele, who is still probably the most recognized personality in the world.

Portal Terra

COPENHAGUE - Na primeira rodada de votação, Madri ficou em primeiro. Na sequência, Rio foi ganhando força e, na reta final, venceu com folga. Veja como foi a votação:
First round voting
Primeira rodada: Madri: 28 votos; Rio: 26; Tóquio 22; Chicago: 18 (eliminada)
Segunda rodada: Rio: 46; Madri: 29; Tóquio: 20 (eliminada)
Terceira rodada: Rio: 66 (eleita);

Video showing Rio's presentation to the Olympic committee:

http://www.telam.com.ar/vernota.php?tipo=N&idPub=162834&id=317038&dis=1&sec=1

but I'm glad Lula got this recognition.

s

I'll bet they'll make a real celebration of this, too.

Good for Lula, one hard-working, great President.

(with a few tweaks of obvious errors by me...)

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Lula: "It's a victory for Latin America"

Brazilian President Lula Da Silva said he was excited
by the choice of Rio de Janeiro to host the Games
Olympics in 2016, thanked all the officials of his
government who made this possible and called it "a victory
Latin America ".

"Rio de Janeiro has a soul, no heart," to organize the
Game, compared with the rest of the candidates, said Lulu.

The president said his country will organize in 2016 in Rio de
Janeiro the best Olympic Games that the world has seen.
"We will prove that the Brazilians generous soul will
create the most extraordinary games that this world has
seen,"Lula promised, speaking ot Brazilian media
in the Danish capital.

The Head of State further noted that today is a day
sacred "to him, and then between smiles, said he now
deserved "rest."

-----------------------------

I'm thinking of Honduras, is what I'm thinking. Lulu has been such a bold and great defender of democracy in that situation. I'm also thinking about Lulu's great friendship with Hugo Chavez (they meet every month), and their shared goals of peace and social justice. Lulu has been a dauntless defender of Chavez, whom he described as "the great peacemaker" (for his role in fending off a war between the US/Colombia and Ecuador/Venezuela in one of the Bushwhacks' dirtiest schemes in early 2008), and of whom Lula said, "They can invent all kinds of things to criticize Chavez, but not on democracy!" Lulu knows better than anyone--aside from the Venezuelan people themselves, who give Chavez consistently high approval ratings--who Chavez is and what he is about, and Lulu stood up to the Bushwhacks when they sent their dictate down that Latin American leaders "must isolate Chavez." Lulu chose that moment--just weeks before the 2006 election in Venezuela--to visit Chavez for the opening of the Orinoco Bridge (between Venezuela and Brazil). It was very pointed. Lulu in effect endorsed Chavez and gave the Bushwhacks the finger, way back then. It was the first item that I noticed indicating the strength of the solidarity that was developing among leftist leaders in S/A.

A leader of Brazil could have played things quite differently--could have sucked up to the Bushwhacks, seeking Washington's favor for Braziianl domination of the continent. Brazil has the biggest economy, I believe--is very resource-rich (including oil) and is biggest in sheer land mass and population as well. And, like Venezuela, their economy has "landed on its feet" due to excellent government regulation of banking and investment (which both leaders undertook in defiance of World BanK/IMF "advice"--i.e., First World looting). A leader of Brazil could have tried to fill the "vacuum" of US influence in the region--a "vacuum" that occurred due in part to hatred of the Bush Junta, the Iraq War and other outrages, Bushwhack support of the 2002 coup attempt in Venezuela, and also due to disgust at the utter failure of "neo-liberalism" (and other US failures)--but Lulu took a different path by befriending and helping Brazil's neighbors--notably Venezuela, Bolivia and Paraguay. Lulu's policy is to "raise all boats." In his view, Brazil could not and should not prosper while other S/A countries suffered, whether from US interference (Venezuela, Bolivia) or from extreme poverty (Bolivia, Paraguay). Brazil and Venezuela have been heavyweight pioneers in this kind of cooperation, and in S/A economic/political integration. One result is the new South American "common market," UNASUR, formalized in summer '08. Another is their solidarity on Honduras.

This stupendous political progress--the great success of democracy in S/A--new cooperative efforts and assertion of Latin America's latent power may have influenced the Olympics committee. The Bushwhacks' called their junta "The Project For A New American Century"--meaning only the U.S. (and only its global corporate predators and war profiteers). It is, instead, going to be South America's century, because of of their devotion to real democracy, their savvy leftist leadership and their new spirit of cooperation, with many concrete expressions of that having already occurred.

Good article by a journalist who actually reported from Brazil. The article reinforces much of what you have written on Lula, Brazil and South America in general. (Sorry did not translate OP. :hi: )

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For Brazil, Olympics mean the future finally has arrived

By Kevin G. Hall, McClatchy Newspapers Kevin G. Hall, Mcclatchy Newspapers – Fri Oct 2, 6:52 pm ET
WASHINGTON — For the longest time, a joke about Brazil made the rounds in the halls of international financial organizations: Latin America's largest and most populous nation had a great future — and always would.

No one's laughing anymore, as Brazil joined the ranks of the big-boy countries after Rio de Janeiro , a city known for sun and sin, was named the host of the 2016 Olympic Games on Friday.

The win, on top of an earlier award to host soccer's 2014 World Cup, recognizes Brazil as one of the pillars of the global economy. It's an amazing transformation, considering that just eight years ago it elected Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva , a fiery former union leader who critics warned would lead his nation into socialism, or, worse, communism.

It didn't happen. Instead, Lula has become a global figure, aided by Brazil's booming economy and recent discoveries of vast offshore oil deposits.

More
http://news.yahoo.com/s/mcclatchy/3325148

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Lula: "It's a victory for Latin America"

Brazilian President Lula Da Silva said he was excited
by the choice of Rio de Janeiro to host the Olympic Games in 2016, thanked all the officials of his
government who made this possible and called it "a victory
for Latin America ".

"Rio de Janeiro has a soul, a heart," to organize the
Game, compared with the rest of the candidates, said Lulu.

The president said his country will organize in 2016 in Rio de
Janeiro the best Olympic Games that the world has seen.
"We will prove that the Brazilians' generous soul will
create the most extraordinary games that this world has
seen,"Lula promised, speaking to Brazilian media
in the Danish capital.

The Head of State further noted that today is a day
"sacred" to him, and then between smiles, said he now
deserved "rest."

Brazil doesn't have any "no fly restrictions" - an issue which may have had some bearing on the judges wise decision.

Slightly off topic - I hope the locals in Rio don't suffer to the extent of locals in London whose houses and businesses were relocated for the sake of a fucking stadium etc. The general financial benefits of holding the Olympics always seem to help one sector at the expense of another.