PARIS -- Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva insists that now is the right time for a South American country to host its first Olympics.
Rio de Janeiro is competing against Chicago, Madrid and Tokyo for the 2016 games, with the IOC to select the host city on Oct. 2 in Copenhagen.
"We can't accept the idea that the Olympics Games belong exclusively to the rich countries," Silva said Tuesday through an interpreter at the Brazilian Embassy in Paris.
Silva believes that "the Olympics in a European country, in Japan, or in the United States of America is quite simply just one more Olympic Games" while holding the event in South America would be a refreshing change. USA TODAY
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