“LEGACY FOR WHOM?”

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According to the IOC, Legacy is defined as presenting a policy’s positive effects over a long duration. It should be always accompanied by Impact, used to describe the direct effects of a policy, program or project on ecosystems, society in general and/or on the economic system.

 

For the IOC, Legacy’s scope and role is measured in reference to 5 categories: sociocultural, environmental, economic, urban and sporting.  “Rio2016oneyearlater” analyzed each of these categories as a particular topic. This section, instead, illustrates what is considered legacy for the people of Rio.

 

In the protests against Rio 2016, the most asked question was “Legacy for whom?” The perception was that the priority was the construction of stadiums vs. money for universities or hospitals. The financial resource transfers were done right on time for the Games, but on the other hand, there was a suspension of salary payments.

 

One year later, the city government of Rio de Janeiro was in a state of calamity. Since June 2016, public universities had to close their doors because of lack of money to pay salaries and people went to the streets almost every week to protest for their rights. Moreover, since protests began against the mega-events in 2013, even before the World Cup, every demonstration has faced repression by the city armed forces.

 

The question remains: legacy for whom? The people of Rio de Janeiro have not witnessed many positive effects over a long duration in their city.