LATIN AMERICA CONGRATULATES BRAZIL ON WINNING 2016 OLYMPIC BID

Xinhua
2009-10-03 08:22:58

MEXICO CITY, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) — Leaders from across Latin America
celebrated on Friday after Brazilian city Rio de Janeiro won its
bid to host the 2016 Olympic Games, at the International Olympic
Committee (IOC) meeting in Danish capital Copenhagen, according to
news reaching here.

Speaking from Copenhagen where he traveled to witness the IOC’s choice,
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said that Rio deserved to host the
Olympics, and described the news as "a victory for 190million souls",
referring to Brazil’s population. "If I died right now, it would have
been worth it," he added.

Rio had previously bid for the 2004 Games, which took place in Geek
capital Athens, and then again for the 2012 Games, where London won
the right to host.

In Venezuela, President Hugo Chavez told media at the sidelines of
an Argentina-Venezuela political coordination meeting that "we are
going to give Rio a big round of applause and I am going to launch
a forecast: Venezuela will be the winner of the football competition
in those Olympics," he said.

In Chile, President Michelle Bachelet cheered the decision, telling
media "great joy" during a public event in the Bio Bio Region of
southern Chile.

"It is great that Brazil won and that Latin America will host the
2016 Olympic Games," she said.

Peru’s President Alan Garcia told media that Peru feels the victory
as its own, that it represents a victory for all Latin America,
and that it represents an opportunity for Peru’s tourist industry.

"Even though I will not be in power, I will work hard so that all
the citizens of the world who go to Brazil will make a stop in Peru,
on the way there and the way back," he said.

In Colombia, President Alvaro Uribe said he was "very happy" to hear
the news, and said that he hoped that Brazil would back Colombia’s
bid to host the 2015 Pan American Games.

"Major congraturations for the Brazil government, to its president
and to its people," he said at a public event in central western
city Armenia.

Gerardo Werthein, president-elect of Argentina’s Olympic Committee,
told Argentine news channel C5N by telephone from Copenhagen that
"this is a great opportunity for the whole Latin American region".

Werthein, head of an equestrian sports organization, said that he
enjoyed "the success of friends" describing the news as "an impressive
moment that we can’t help but live and share."

In winning city Rio de Janeiro itself, citizens gathered at
world-famous beach Copacabana to celebrate at an event organized by the
city government, featuring musicians and Olympic athletes. Celebrants
watched the decision at a large screen set up to watch the announcement
of the host city live.

Rio authorities said that at least 15,000 gathered ahead of the event,
and many more appeared after victory was announced. Many were dressed
in national colours green and yellow.

Rio’s rivals for the Olympics were Spain’s capital, Madrid; Japan’s
capital, Tokyo; and U.S. city Chicago.