Sepp Blatter goes into meltdown at recent press conference (Video)

The controversial FIFA boss can be seen disco dancing in response to recent accusations of a ‘crisis’ over FIFA ethics at www.fairworldcup.org.

While the film may be amusing, the campaign is deadly serious: creators Solidar are making it known that while the FIFA 2014 World Cup will be the expensive World Cup yet, it’s the Brazilian people who will foot the bill.

It is estimated that between 150,000 and 170’000 people will be evicted from their homes in the run up to the world cup. Some of this is to make way for infrastructure upgrades such as new stadiums, airport runways and rail links, however the event is also being used as an excuse to ‘renew’ whole areas of town.

South Africa saw over 20’000 evictions in the run up to the 2010 World Cup – over 80’000 relocations have already taken place in São Paulo, Curitiba, Fortaleza and Recife where World Cup matches will be taking place. 

UN Special Envoy for housing rights Raquel Rolnik commented: “Most communities are not informed of the development projects before they are removed. They have no chance to debate and present alternatives.”

Tens of thousands of street vendors will lose their livelihoods as FIFA demands exclusive sales rights and enforced vendor exclusion zones.  In host cities, Vendor licenses have already been revoked, and none are being renewed in tourist areas (source: StreetNet International).  Police repression has increased as vendors are being fined, beaten and their goods removed.  Up to 300’000 vendors are likely to be affected.

Construction workers are being exploited: between 2011 and end of March of this year, there have already been 17 strikes on the construction sites of 9 stadiums.  A new law was voted in at the end of February limiting construction worker’s right to strike for three months before and during the World Cup in “fields of special social interest”.

Brazil will be left with a mountain of public debt, while FIFA avoids taxes.  $14.5bn (USD) is being spent on new stadiums and infrastructure upgrades, with five new stadiums being built for the Football World Cup and seven renovated. Private investors have obviously learned from the lessons of South Africa: only the renovation of two stadiums and parts of a third are being privately financed, and no private investors have been found for the others. The stadiums of Brasilia, Cuiabá, Manaus and Natal are likely not be used to capacity after the World Cup. 

OSEC (Business Network Switzerland) writes in its newsletter that the Federal states and the cities are taking on long-term debt: “The usual rules on the limitation of excess credit have been suspended. Goods and services linked to stadium building benefit from tax exemptions”.  For example, debt-ceilings for host cities have been raised by decree.

Much like Brazil, South Africa was promised economic growth, prospects and new jobs for country.  A projected profit of 700m Swiss Francs transpired to be a loss of 2.8bn, while FIFA and its partners took over 3bn in profit.  

Solidar Suisse is demanding that Sepp Blatter makes the World Cup a party for everyone. You can support our demands at www.fairworldcup.org and blow the whistle on Blatter to express your opinion.

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