First published: The Times, 27/07/2016
When the Rio Olympics get under way in eight days a global audience will be treated to an extravaganza of sport set against familiar images of the statue of Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf Mountain and the beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema. Dig a little deeper, though, and Brazil is deeply troubled. The economy is going through its worst recession and a full-blown political and constitutional crisis.
The economy stalled in 2014, contracted by 3.8 per cent last year and is expected to contract by 3.1 per cent this year, according to the International Monetary Fund. The current year is off…Read more: