London 2012 was a huge success for the country and it surely made British citizens feel good about themselves. But what’s in store for the inhabitants of Rio de Janeiro, host city for this year’s Games?

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When it was announced in 2009 that Rio had got the Games, at best Brazilians had mixed opinions about it (some observers said the majority was already against it). And now that Brazil is going through one of its worst moments politically and financially, hostility towards the Games and the associated expenditure, is very much on the rise.

The corruption within our government has brought chaos on the streets – and hundreds of thousands of people out in protest.

With the Games only a couple of months away, it is clear that the streets of our beloved city are far from safe. Even the locals are concerned about their safety. Teenagers and children from the favelas are robbing people during daylight hours on the busy streets of Copacabana and Ipanema, as we can see on the news and in many YouTube videos. Meanwhile Brazil’s President, Dilma Rousseff’ is facing impeachment, more or less mugged by a Congress which seems as corruption-tainted as she herself is alleged to be.

We all hope for the best, wishing that the Olympics will bring joy and medals for a country that is still suffering from self-inflicted wounds. But Games Time will need to be nothing short of magical for it to dispel the bitterness and bile in today’s Brazil.