Brazil’s Sports Minister insists that Rio de Janeiro is prepared to host the Olympic Games in two months, despite a litany of heavily publicized potential setbacks.
Leonardo Picciani, who was appointed to the role less than three months ago, told the BBC that those attending the Games would “have a great experience.”
It has been an arduous few months for the South American country, where President Dilma Rousseff faces an impeachment trial in a sweeping national corruption scandal, and an outbreak of the Zika virus has prompted more than 200 scientists to ask officials to delay the Olympics.
Read More: Here Are the 4 Challenges Rio de Janeiro Must Meet to Host a Successful 2016 Olympics
Meanwhile, there remains work to be done in preparation for the Games themselves. The BBC reports that there are concerns over unfinished construction, and in late April, two people died after the collapse of a bike path built in a wave of pre-Olympic municipal renovations.
Picciani, however, said “all precautions” had been taken to prevent the spread of Zika and that the Olympics team was running “seamlessly.”
“I would say to any athlete, to any visitor planning on coming to Rio, you do not have to worry, Rio and Brazil have prepared for this moment.”
[BBC]
More Must-Reads From TIME
- The 100 Most Influential People of 2024
- How Far Trump Would Go
- Scenes From Pro-Palestinian Encampments Across U.S. Universities
- Saving Seconds Is Better Than Hours
- Why Your Breakfast Should Start with a Vegetable
- 6 Compliments That Land Every Time
- Welcome to the Golden Age of Ryan Gosling
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time
Contact us at letters@time.com