Carnival cancellation and ramifications for IOC

Shocking news out of Brazil, they have cancelled the Carnival celebration this year. 

I can't but imagine that this will be a very unpopular decision with the locals. With the amount of money that has been allocated, spent and consumed on hosting large international competitions, they must be feeling pretty angry. This last summer is preparation for the World Cup there were protests against the massive spending on stadiums in remote areas that will probably not be used again. Add to this the fact that Brazil has struggled to upkeep their own economy and infrastructure and there is a recipe for disenchantment. 

I wonder what this means for the IOC, FIFA and others; they have chosen locations that have not been able to handle the large price tag and development that accompanies the events. Russia spent billions of dollars on hosting the games that will never be recouped. Brazil had the opportunity of hosting the two largest events in subsequent years, but even that task is too daunting. 

The bids for the events amount to billions, but where does the money come from and at what cost? The money is not about erecting facilities for the events, it has to include roadways, parking, electrical and sanitation infrastructure on top of the facility construction. If these additional investments are overlooked the results are obvious; the locals have to foot the additional spending on resources they won't be able to use and their sacrifices are generally not appreciated by their government or others. 

The end result is what is happening now, the government is stretched so thin they don't have the capacity to fund their own national events. And who does this effect? Certainly not the IOC, who will have their games, but the locals who will be left to pick up the pieces and hope that they will be able to pay back the debt some day. 

Thinking long term, what are these large bodies going to do? They want to expand the reach of their games and include new host counties, but the cost of economic disaster can't be worth it. Their will start to be increasing opposition to the games and who is chosen to host. In order to maintain and increase the goodwill they have lost, they are going to have to find a way to make hosting the games more sustainable. I, for one, hope they do. 

http://www.businessinsider.com/brazil-canceled-carnival-2016-1