The front facade of Atlanta City Hall was illuminated in the green, yellow and blue of the Brazilian flag last week to mark a 100-day countdown to the opening of the 2016 Olympic games.
The lighting display was a show of solidarity with this year’s host, Rio de Janeiro, as well as a commemoration of the 20th anniversary of Atlanta’s centennial games.
“The Olympics have been played a significant role in the history of our city when Atlanta was selected to host the Centennial Olympic Games over Athens, Greece,” said Atlanta International Affairs Director Claire Angelle. “The 1996 Olympic Games truly marked Atlanta’s recognition as an international city. It reshaped our city in many ways, especially with infrastructure projects that are still a vibrant part of our community such as Centennial Olympic Park, which was also lit in green and yellow.”
Since they tied up in 1972, Atlanta and Rio have been working together on a variety of cultural and business exchanges, only recently related to their shared status as Olympic cities. Atlanta leaders in 2014 meet with Rio Negocios executives during a trade mission to the Brazilian city to discuss investment opportunities and “legacy,” how to best use venues after the games are over. Atlanta is widely regarded by Olympic observers of having put its assets to productive uses.
Rio has had a tumultuous time preparing for the games, with questions arising about pace of construction and the city’s overall readiness, particularly when elevated coastal bike path built in time for the games collapsed, leaving two people dead. That was just hours after the Olympic torch had been lit.
Brazil’s economy has been in recession, and its government has been roiled by a bribery scandal related to contracts granted to state-run oil company Petrobras. President Dilma Rousseff has avoided being directly implicated, despite being energy minister at the time. Still, the Senate overwhelmingly to take the first steps toward impeaching her last month over her handling of state budgets.
With all this as background noise, the Brazilian Consulate General in Atlanta has been plowing ahead with Olympic celebrations including a dinner to mark the 100-day milestone. The consulate has also hosted travel agents to tamp down concerns about the Zika virus in Brazil and to play up Rio as a tourist destination.
The Brazilian government has eliminated visa requirements for Americans during the games.
The trade relationship between Georgia and Brazil is worth more than $2 billion.
More photos of the lighting displays below:
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