Cade a licitação pelo Maracanã?

The project detailing the planned reforms for the Maracanã were finally made public this week. R$ 720 million. Obviously, the final cost will be much higher as the demand for concrete, steel, and other stadium parts are not going to maintain the same price over the next three years. Adding the reforms undertaken for the 2007 Pan American games, R$450, we get a stadium project worth R$ 1,170 billion. Billion!

After searching the Rio de Janeiro state government websites (http://www.turismoesporte.rj.gov.br/licitacoes.asp and http://www.governo.rj.gov.br), I was not able to find any details for the project. According to OGlobo the project is going to go to the lowest bidder, but, really, if they are so committed to spending so much money, why not go with the most competent. I could do this reform with my graduate students for about R$500,000. 

I would love to explain what the plans for the stadium are, but the black box of SUDERJ is inside the black box of the Tourism and Sport ministry, which is inside the black box of the State Government, which is inside the black box of CBF, inside the black box of FIFA. In short, a brilliantly complex shell game carried out with billions in public money. 

In other news, Brasil were shockingly bad vs. Zimbabwe the other day. Kaka was truly awful and Robinho and Luis Fabiano kept running into the same spaces. Brazil have the talent to open up any defense with one brilliant pass and quick finish, as they did for their second goal, but this team is not enjoyable to watch. I have talked with dozens of Brazilians who are actively looking for another team to support, many of them actually hoping that  Argentina win the cup. 

For those who have more than a passing interest in what has happened in order to produce the 2010 World Cup and the lecacy of destruction, social exclusion, environmental devastation, murder, greed, avarice, etc. that has defined the South African experience, the book Development and Dreams can be found here.