The former Minister for Cities, Márcio Fortes, who occupied the Cabinet between 2005 and 2010, was yesterday (June 21) appointed as President of the Olympic Public Authority (APO), the Public Company that is responsible for the co-ordination of the organization of the Olympic Games to be held in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
At a press interview, Mr. Fortes made it clear that his work shall be predominantly executive, while political decisions shall rest with a higher-level organization, the Olympic Public Council, presided by Henrique Meireles, former director of the Brazilian Central Bank, also with the participation of the Mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Eduardo Paes, and the Governor of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Sérgio Cabral.
Initially, the Government of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff had decided that Mr. Meirelles would be the President of the APO, but pressure from the authorities, seeking greater control of the construction work, led to the establishment of the commission which, from a judicial standpoint, is one step higher.
Having accepted the nomination, Mr. Fortes agreed to closely follow the schedule of work and also shrugged off comparisons with the organization of the 2014 FIFA World Cup™, which worries because of its constant delays.
"We must not confuse the World Cup with the Olympics, as the time frame is quite different”, said the former Minister, whose name still needs approval from the Brazilian Senate, at a meeting with journalists in the Presidential Palace.
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04/05 | News
