Arena Pantanal

Hey everyone!

I'm sad I can't be there today to see more of the presentations! Hopefully we'll get to see those animals in the Pantanal, and you all can point them out to me :)

I thought I'd do a little post today as a follow up to some of the posts that people have written about the Arena Pantanal and what it means for the people and the environment in the Pantanal.

June 12 is probably the most pressing deadline in Brazil right now: the start of the World Cup! Making these deadlines has proven to be an issue, and this has created the need for a lot of cheap labor in the area. In order to keep on schedule and have the stadium built in time and with the budget in mind, over 100 Haitian workers have been brought in to complete the Arena Pantanal in Cuiabá. However, this has brought about difficult working conditions, blazing heat, safety issues, and unstable accommodations. Many of the larger building companies are able to provide somewhat for their employees, but the smaller contractors have left many of these Haitian workers, who paid $2500 to come to Brazil to work, without resources. This has been termed the "subcontracting fever" wherein urban constructors are unable to provide for their workers due to underestimating the time and resources needed. Despite all these conditions, Haitian workers are often left with no choice but to leave the country to provide for their families, especially since the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake still has a strong presence.

When I was reading the news about Brazil and the World Cup, it made me think about the various aspects of large scale sporting events. Sure, they are enjoyable, but they also have several other consequences. One would hope that the planning would be done to make sure workers are treated fairly and the timelines are reasonable, but it does not seem to be the case in this Brazilian World Cup. It is also sad that such a large-scale, international event also features unfair treatment of so many people.
The issues I and my classmates have covered with the World Cup are only a few of those likely faced by the Brazilians, the small number of issues brought to light by the media. It will be very interesting to see how the workers and locals feel about the World Cup after we have gone.

We may not be spending much time in the city, but I thought this picture provides a sharp contrast to the wildlife (hopefully unadulterated) that we will encounter!

- Nicole