A Brazilian judge has issued a search and seizure warrant for US Olympic swimmers Ryan Lochte and James Feigen as questions emerge about their account of being robbed at gunpoint early Sunday in Rio de Janeiro.
Re: Olympics
Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2016 4:30 pm
by Leisher
I believe Lochte is already gone.
Apparently, Lochte's camp is saying Brazil wants to use his example, since he's higher profile, and pretend he made it up so people think it's not that bad there. Unfortunately for them today is the day that video or 30 or so robberies shot on video were released...
Yeah, Brazil's awesome.
Re: Olympics
Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2016 8:53 pm
by GORDON
I saw a vid a few weeks ago of some white tourist in Rio who is being slowly mugged by a tall black woman. The woman snatches at the tourist's purse and cell phone, and she is trying to evade, going around a crowd at a bus stop. The thief just circles around the crowd coming at the woman from a different direction. The woman can't get away, and none of the 20 or so people in the crowd even pretends to notice what is happening. I've heard Rio muggers like this always have backup with them too, so if a target tries to fight back they are immediately beaten down. You either give up your shit or fight and get beaten and give up your shit anyway.
Rio!
Re: Olympics
Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2016 10:12 pm
by Leisher
I think that's #1 in the video I linked.
Re: Olympics
Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2016 10:18 pm
by GORDON
It's a magical place.
Re: Olympics
Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2016 9:05 am
by Leisher
Back to Lochte, his story is shaky, and theories are flying that he and the other swimmers were made someplace they shouldn't have been doing things they shouldn't have been doing.
In totally unrelated news, the men's basketball team was seen at a nearby brothel...
Re: Olympics
Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2016 1:10 pm
by Malcolm
It's motherfucking Rio. It's a city built on going places you shouldn't and doing things and people you shouldn't.
Re: Olympics
Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2016 2:17 pm
by GORDON
They need an earthquake and tsunami.
Re: Olympics
Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2016 2:22 pm
by Malcolm
GORDON wrote:They need an earthquake and tsunami.
That would actually spruce it up, or at least most places wouldn't notice the difference. I'm willing to bet a lot of those streets have never been swept or washed. New Orleans looks like a CDC clean room compared to Rio.
Swimmers Gunnar Bentz and Jack Conger, who were pulled from their U.S.-bound flight Wednesday, remained in Brazil, along with teammate Jimmy Feigen, and were “in the process of scheduling a time and place” to provide further statements to Brazilian authorities, a U.S. Olympic Committee spokesperson said. All had legal counsel and were being supported by the USOC and the U.S. consulate in Rio.
Several media outlets Thursday reported the existence of a surveillance video from a Rio de Janeiro gas station early Sunday showing Lochte and his teammates damaging property. The Daily Mail, a British news outlet, reported — citing Brazilian police — that Lochte and the other swimmers refused to pay for the damage until a security guard waved a gun at them and demanded payment. Brazilian news outlet O Globo reported, also citing police sources, that Lochte and his teammates urinated on the gas station’s building and vandalized the property.
I assume they'll release the footage when it's done being doctored, edited, and having new scenes shot.
In Brazil, however, outrage is mounting over the possibility that the American swimmers lied. The sense of indignation is heightened by the bad publicity Rio has received during the Games. The city has complex feelings about its reputation as a center for crime whose streetwise citizens are more than willing to scam each other.
“I think it is false,” said Lucas Alves, 24, an under-manager of the Ipiranga gas station. “Everyone thinks of Rio as the place of robberies and this happens. People in Rio are annoyed about this. They receive visitors well and this happens. It’s a horrible thing.”
Here's what you get for the first result when you google "crime statistics in rio de janeiro" ...
Crime rates in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
Level of crime 90.55 Very High
Problem people using or dealing drugs 84.71 Very High
Problem property crimes such as vandalism and theft 82.25 Very High
Problem violent crimes such as assault and armed robbery 90.38 Very High
Problem corruption and bribery 92.66 Very High
Carjacking is common, particularly in major cities. Local citizens and visitors alike are often targeted by criminals, especially during public festivals such as the Carnaval. Pickpocketing and bag snatching are common. Thieves operate in outdoor markets, in hotels and on public transport.
...
Express kidnappings, where individuals are abducted and forced to withdraw funds from ATMs to secure their release, are common in major cities including Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Brasília, Curitiba, Porto Alegre, Salvador and Recife.
...
Corruption in Brazil is a pervasive social problem. Brazil scored 38 on the 2016 Corruption Perceptions Index, tying with India and Bosnia and Herzegovina, being ranked 76th among 175 countries.
...
Corruption is a serious offense and yet is an important part of Brazil's politics. For years, embezzlement and corruption have been involved in Brazilian elections, and yet the electorate continues to vote for the same convicted politicians.
Now, in a study in mice, researchers have found evidence that suggests adult brain cells critical to learning and memory also might be susceptible to the Zika virus.
"This was kind of a surprise," Joseph Gleeson, a professor at Rockefeller University and one of the co-authors of the study published Thursday in the journal Cell Stem Cell, said in an interview. "We think of Zika health concerns being limited mostly to pregnant women."
I really want to see stats in about 5 years regarding the health of the athletes that attended.
Re: Olympics
Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2016 3:54 pm
by GORDON
Malcolm wrote:
GORDON wrote:They need an earthquake and tsunami.
That would actually spruce it up, or at least most places wouldn't notice the difference. I'm willing to bet a lot of those streets have never been swept or washed. New Orleans looks like a CDC clean room compared to Rio.
Exactly my point. The earthquake to flatten the favalas and the tsunami to wash it all out to sea. In 6 months welcome to the jewel of Brazil.
I really have no problem with this. The Olympics are about the best, but also about the world as a whole.
Re: Olympics
Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2016 5:10 pm
by TPRJones
Indeed. As long as no one better in a country is forced out by the process, I think this is neat. Besides, it makes the real athletes look even better.
Re: Olympics
Posted: Sat Aug 20, 2016 9:25 pm
by Malcolm
Heh. Turns out Lochte left out a few important tidbits.
