World Cup Brazil 2014

FIFA and CBF have already declared that their main concern for the World Cup 2014 is with the airports.

Brazilian airports are already operating above capacity and, despite measures to attempt to speed up their building, we don’t know if the airports will be ready for 2014. Even if the airports are ready, we don’t know if there will be a sufficient supply of seats. And now, even if the airlines sell the tickets, we don’t know if they will actually transport the passenger.

Since last Sunday, August 1st, airline Gol has been delaying or canceling many of their flights. On Monday, more than 50% of the flights were affected; in Rio de Janeiro alone, out of 105 flights, 80 had been delayed and 11 had been canceled. On Tuesday, Infraero informed that Gol had delayed 203 and canceled 47 domestic flights. Today, Infraero informed that about 37% of domestic flights are still delayed.

Gol informed that the delays were “a reflex of the big increase in the volume of passengers, since last Friday” (last day of the winter break in Brazilian schools). According to sources, Gol pilots and crews had exceed the overtime work permitted by law, and refused to fly; besides, Gol had diverted aircrafts to more profitable charter flights, lacking aircrafts for normal routes.

Today, ANAC, the Civil Aviation Federal Agency, announced the punishment for Gol: a R$ 2 million (a bit more than US$ 1 million) fine.

So, a company sells tickets to thousands of passengers, fails to honor them, comes up with stupid excuses, and gets away paying a R$ 2 million fine (that is, if Gol ever pays that fine – it is well known that corporations in Brazil just ignore fines imposed by the Federal Agencies). No wonder the company doesn’t care about quality.

One could think that Gol’s competitors could take the opportunity to gain new clients. But it is no so. First, because the air transportation market in Brazil is dominated by a duopoly, Gol and TAM. And also because TAM is not any more reliable than Gol – massive TAM delays are also not very uncommon.

Probably CBF is right: the stadiums are delayed, but they can be built until 2014; changing the scenario of air transportation in Brazil will be much more difficult.

Time Magazine published this article “Is China ready to host the World Cup – in 16 Years?“.

China is considering to bid to host the FIFA World Cup in 2026 (the bidding processes for 2018 and 2022 are under way, and biddings are closed). According to Time, so big is the presence of China in the World today (in Economy, Sports, culture, Politics, etc) that the country stands good chances to host the event in 2026.

Brazil and China have had a long, stable and peaceful relationship.

There are no precise numbers about the Chinese population in Brazil (Chinese live dispersed,  there are no Chinatowns in Brazil); in 2005, there were already more than 200,000 Chinese in Brazil (enough to fill up any of the Stadiums of the World Cup), but the number certainly has been growing fast since.

More recently, with the economic growth of both countries, the commercial trading exploded, and so did the number of travellers;  in 2010, China will be the biggest foreign investor in Brazil.

But can the China Team play in the World Cup 2014 in Brazil?

According to Time, no; football in China is incipient, is plagued by corruption and lacks attention from the Government (a tennis table team can win tens of medals in the Olympics, but a football team can win only one). The New York Times also asked where are China soccer stars?

However, it won’t be a surprise if China manages to qualify for 2014, again.  The Chinese played in the World Cup 2002, and played against Brazil; Brazil won by 4 x 0, the movie below shows the goals.

The Asia Confederation is given 4.5 slots for the World Cup (four secured slots, and a slot defined in a play-off against a team from other Confederation). In 2006, the Qualified teams were Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia and  Iran (China lost to Kuwait). In 2010, the Qualified teams were Japan, Australia, South Korea and North Korea (China lost to the Australians).

So, it won’t be an easy task for China to qualify, as Japan, South Korea and Australia seem to be conquering a supremacy in that region; however, the remaining slots have been taken by underdogs (China was one, in 2002), and the Chinese Team could very well take one of them in 2014. Last June, right before the World Cup 2010, China won France by 1 x 0 (see movie).

What is certain is that if China comes to the World Cup 2014, it will only contribute to the success of the event.

The Brazilian legislation specifies seven different kinds of Visa; read more about all Brazil Visas.

Visitors coming for visitation and recration purposes, just a Tourist Visa is necessary (that’s the easiest one to obtain).

To work as a volunteer in Brazil (even if no payment is involved), it is necessary a Temporary Visa; the volunteer work is considered “cultural trip” or “studies mission”, as qualified in article 13, item I of this Law.

The documentation to be produced when applying for any Temporary Visa includes: passport valid for six months and containing at least two blank pages, two photos, proof of residence, certificate of good conduct, and more. See complete list.

For those traveling to Brazil to provide services, including volunteer work, to charitable or religious entities or to Non Governmental Organizations, without a work contract or employment relationship (if such contract or relationship exists, then a Work Visa will be needed), further documentation is required.

This documentation is determined by Resolution 68, December 7th 2005: the applicant must present an invitation provided by the entity or organization, and the entity or organization must proof legal status and take responsability (upkeeping, health, etc) for the applicant.

See more information about Brazil Visas.

Read also the Law about Volunteer Work in Brazil.

Brazilian legislation specifies seven different kinds of Travel Visas.

For visitors who come for visitation or recreation purposes only, as is the case of most people coming to attend the World Cup in 2014, the applicable Visa is the Tourist Visa. Those who come for business or work purposes (including journalists and volunteers) must apply for a Temporary Visa.

The Law says (article 10) that, if a country doesn’t require a Visa for Brazilian Tourists, then nationals from that country will not need a Tourist Visa to enter Brazil.

The Ministry for Foreign Relations maintains a page (supposedly up to date) with a list of countries which do not need a Tourist Visa to enter Brazil.  The list includes most European countries with regular presence in World Cups, such as United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, France, Switzerland, Ireland and others. Nationals from Mercosul (Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay) don’t even need a passport.

Among others, the following countries do need a Tourist Visa: USA, Canada, Japan, Australia.

Required documentation is listed at this page. Cost of Visa ranges from US$ 20 to US$ 100; Brazilian authorities claim that the price is based on reciprocity. In June 2010, American Consulates in Brazil increased the application fee to US$ 140, which should reflect in the fee charged from American citizens to enter Brazil.

Visa applications must be submitted to the Brazilian Embassies and Consulates; this page contains links to consulates all over the world (cities in alphabetic order). The Ministry of Tourism maintains a few tourism offices in some major World cities, which may also be helpful.

Validity of Visas is also subject to reciprocity (recently, American citizens became eligible to ten year visas). Regardless of the validity, the following applies (article 12 of the Law): multiple entries are permitted; maximum stay per entry is 90 days; if required withing the first 90 days, an extension may be granted, at discretion of Brazilian authorities; maximum stay per year is 180 days.

Read more about the Brazil Visas.

Below, a short guide for people who are thinking about visiting the World Heritage Sites in Brazil during the World Cup.

A few days ago, Unesco inscribed another Brazilian Monument as a World Heritage Site: the Sao Francisco Square.

The Square is in the city of Sao Cristovao, in the State of Sergipe; founded in 1590, it is the fourth oldest city in Brazil. The Square is surrounded by Historic buildings, such as the Church and Convent of Sao Francisco (built in 1693), Church of Our Lady of Rosary of Colored Men, the Sisters Mercy Hospital and more.

Sao Cristovao was built while Portugal was under rule of the Spanish King (1580 – 1640). This kind of large square which concentrates all public buildings was common in other Latin American cities, but  not so common in Brazil.

Sao Cristovao was capital of the State until 1855, when Aracaju was founded to be the new capital. Thanks to that, all the colonial, baroque, religious architecture is very well preserved in Sao Cristovao (the Sacred Arts Museum is one of the richest in Brazil).

The movie below shows the Sao Francisco Square; see more photos and movies of Sao Cristovao and Sao Francisco Square.

Brazil has now 19 Heritage Sites. Full list is here. The World Cup is a good opportunity to visit some of the Sites.

Sao Cristovao, as said above, is distant from the major cities. Even Aracaju remains as one of the quietest capitals in the Northeast of  Brazil. One can reach Sao Cristovao by driving from Salvador (about 350 km) or Recife (500 km).

Brasilia, the capital of Brazil, is itself a Heritage Site. Brasilia is also the host city nearest the Old Town of Goias and the best starting point to visit the parks of Cerrado (Chapada dos Veadeiros and Parque das Emas – the Parks are close to each other, and about 200 km from Brasilia).

Recife is neighboor to Olinda, a Heritage Site. Recife is also the departure point to visit Fernando de Noronha; actually, the part of Noronha which is considered Heritage (the Atol das Rocas) is open only to researchers, but the paradisiac beaches of Noronha are worthy a visit.

Manaus is right on the middle of the Amazon Basin, and Cuiaba is right on the middle of Pantanal. Actually, the main purpose of CBF having chosen those cities as hosts (see here) was to draw attention (and tourists) to the Amazon and the Pantanal.

Fortaleza is the host city nearest to two Heritage sites: the Historic Center of Sao Luis (about 1,100 km away from Fortaleza – there are flighst between the cities) and the Serra da Capivara National Park (about 600 km from Fortaleza, probably the most difficult Heritage Site to get to).

Curitiba and Porto Alegre are both good starting points to visit  two Heritage Sites: the Missions of Sao Miguel (read about the movie) and mesmerizing Foz do Iguaçu Park (or, in Spanish, Foz do Iguazu – anyhow, Iguaçu puts Niagara Falls to shame – see photo). Both Sites are far from each other (200 km) and require travel across the State  (800 km).

Salvador is also a Heritage Site itself; Salvador is the host city nearest the Atlantic Forest of the Discovery Coast, about 200 km South of the city. Another part of the Atlantic Forest which is also inscribed as World Heritage is located between Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

Belo Horizonte is the host city with more Heritage Sites nearby. From BH, it’s a short drive to Ouro Preto, Diamantina and Bom Jesus do Congonhas; all these cities flourished during the epoch of the Gold Rush in Brazil, and are located along the road used to transport the gold, Estrada Real.

The World Cup in Brazil will have much to offer, besides football.

Natal is a city with nearly 1 million people, and is one of the hosts of 2014. With easy access from Europe and North America, and beautiful tropical beaches, it will probably be one of the most visited cities during the Cup.

The Brazilian Government has been announcing that there will be heavy investments in infrastructure to prepare the country for the World Cup, including US$ 12 bn in Information Technology investments.

However, it is very likely that users accustomed to high speed access in their home countries will feel the impact of the lower levels of services in Brazil. The Finnish (to whom a 1 MB connection is a basic right, rather than a commerciable service), or the Japanese (who since 2004 have been seeing 1 GB connection for US$ 38 per month), may feel they are back to the Paleolithic Era of internet.

Take, for example, this notice published yesterday, August 1st 2010, by newspaper Tribuna de Natal about broadband access in Natal.

There are only two providers of broaband access in Natal: Cabo Telecom (a cable TV operator) and Oi Velox (ran by Oi Brazil, which happens to be the worst telecom company in Brazil).

Below, prices charged by Cabo Telecom:

So, for a plan with up to 1 Mbps of download and up to 256 Kbps upload, subject to a monthly quota of 20 GB of transfer, the price is R$ 109.90 per month (a bit more than US$ 60 per month).

The broadest band Oi offers in Natal is 1 Mbps, costing 109.90 monthly, provided that the user buys a “promotion” package including voice services.

If the client is interested in data connection only (no voice), then the following table applies:

For most cities (including Natal), only 1 Mpbs is offered, at a cost of R$ 130 for configuration and R$ 123.30 monthly afterwards.

These are the the same options that businesses like hotels, LAN houses, shopping centers, etc have in Natal; that means that their services won’t be any better than their providers’ services.

For some cities, the improvement of internet access, along with a reduction in prices, could be one important legacy of the World Cup.

In Brazil, the main piece of legislation about Immigration, Visas and related topics is Law nr. 6815, August 19th 1980. The Law remits to other Decrees (particularly Decree 86715, December 10th 1981) and Resolutions which cover more specific situations.

With the World Cup coming to Brazil, it is possible that we see changes and adaptations in the law, so as to reduce bureaucracy for the many tourists and professionals who are coming to watch and participate of the event. Until now, however, nothing has changed.

Article 4 of the Law specifies the seven kinds of Brazilian Visa:

- transit visas (for travelers going to another country, in transit through Brazil; valid for a maximum of ten days; not necessary if the traveler’s carrier is just making a necessary stop over)

- tourist visas

- temporary visas (including Visa for Volunteer Workers)

- permanent visas (for those who want to become a resident in Brazil)

- courtesy visas

- official visas

- diplomatic visas

Article 3 states that all Visas are granted at discretion of the Brazilian authorities, subject to national interests; article 26 states that even if a Visa is granted, the holder may be denied entry, on arrival to the country.

Article 7 lists the cases when a Visa shall not be granted: to minors of 18 years of age, if unaccompanied by parents or without their express permission; to anyone considered harmful to public order or national interests; to anyone who had been expelled from Brazil earlier; to anyone condemned or prosecuted in another country by a crime which may be subject to extradiction, according to the Brazilian law; to anyone who don’t satisfy the requirements of the Ministry of Health of Brazil.

As far as the World Cup is concerned, two kinds of Visa are of particular interest:

Tourism Visas: for those who have no intention of immigrating or working, i.e., the vast majority of people coming to watch the matches. Read more about Tourist Visas to Brazil.

Temporary Visas: applies to anyone who intends to study or work in Brazil, such as volunteers, students, business people, sports people and journalists.

Read more about Immigration Laws to Brazil.

Update, August 6th 2010: Brazil and European Union to sign a visa waiver agreement.

Matches of the World Cup 2014 will be staged in 12 cities dispersed all across the country. Given the long distances between the cities, most of the travelling within Brazil will be made by air.

The Brazilian Government is taking measures to improve Brazilian airports and bring them up to the levels required to attend the expected mass of travellers.

But, even if the Government fullfils the promises about the airports, another point remains: the Brazilian air carriers will have to expand their availability of air routes to provide timely transportation between cities.

According to latest statistics informed (April 2010, source ANAC), there are two companies which dominate the Brazilian domestic air transportation market: TAM (41.75% of market share) and Gol (41.44% of share); the third largest company was Webjet (6.02% market share) and fourth was Azul (5.36%).

Combined, TAM and Gol make a duopoly with more than 83% of market share, and about the same share of available seats. Let’s take a look at the routes operated by the companies.

Below, domestic routes operated by TAM and the companies which have commercial agreements with TAM (click the image to enlarge).

Below, domestic and international routes operated by Gol and Varig (Varig used to be the main Brazilian air carrier, but the company failed a few years ago and was purchased – along with the respective routes – by Gol).

The maps show that there is a big concentration of flights in a few cities, and scarcity in others.

The three main hubs in Brazil are: Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Brasilia. According to the Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association,  the route Rio – Sao Paulo is the busiest in Latin America, and Sao Paulo – Brasilia has just become the second one, surpassing the route Mexico City – Monterrey (see report).

Cities such as Curitiba, Porto Alegre, Recife, Salvador and Belo Horizonte are considered regional hubs, and are served by a few direct daily flights among them, and coming or going to a national hub. According to the same report mentioned above, Sao Paul0 – Porto Alegre and Sao Paulo – Curitiba are the fourth and fifth busiest air routes in Latin America.

The other host cities (namely Cuiaba, Manaus, Natal and Fortaleza) have just a couple of direct flights to hubs, and barely none flights amongst them.

FIFA and CBF will need to carefully study the logistics of air transportation in 2014 before defining groups, teams and matches of the World Cup.

If, for example, a popular team such as USA or England has a match in Manaus and the following in Cuiaba or Natal, there will certainly be a fight for tickets and a lot of passengers making connections in Brasilia or Recife.

Of course, if Brazilian air carriers increase investments, or the Brazilian Government allows international competition, the situation may change.

Arena Capibaribe, the stadium to be build near Recife, has just obtained the environmental clearance to start building the works; the last license was issued by the Agency for Environment and Hydric Resources of the State of Pernambuco.

The Arena Capibaribe and the Complex City of the Cup (which will include, besides the stadium, hotels, business and residence towers and more) will be built in the city of Sao Lourenço da Mata, metropolitan area of Recife. Read more about World Cup in Recife and check out accommodation in Recife.

The video below shows where the complex will be built (the pipe in the background is an aqueduct), in an area  with vestigious of the Atlantic Forest.

The first idea was to built the  Arena in a space near the Convention Center, between Recife and Olinda; however, the cost of terrains was considered too high. The area in Sao Lourenço was chosen because the terrain is already property of the Government of Pernambuco.

The video below highlights the good location of Arena Capibaribe, near to Europe and North America and with good connections with the other host cities.

Environment agencies are being very careful to issue licenses. It is a well known fact today that the unplanned growth of Suape (an industrial and portuary Complex near Sao Lourenço) caused  ecological unbalances which in turned caused sharks to move to the beaches of Recife. In Recife, which once was one of the main surf spots in Brazil, today even sea bathing requires caution – surfers moved to Porto de Galinhas, South of Suape, unaffected by sharks.

The capacity of Arena Capibaribe will be 46,140 seats. There will be 6,000 parking slots.

The City of the Cup will comprehend the Arena, a shopping center, a technical school, a hospital, 9 thousand residences, and ample green area.

A new metro station is being built. There are plans to create rings all around the metropolitan Recife to improve road access to the Complex.

Estimated cost of the Arena alone is R$ 464 million (about US$ 260 million); the Arena should be ready in 2012, and could be one host of the Confederations Cup 2013. Total cost of the City of the Cup is estimated in R$ 1.6 billion (about US$ 900 million), and there is no set deadline.

The contractor is a consortium formed by Odebrecht, International Stadia Group and AEG Facilities. Besides collecting the proceedings of the businesses generated from the Arena, the consortium will receive R$ 4 million per year from the State Government.

However, it is still to be seen if the Arena will be profitful after 2013. The three important clubs of Recife (Nautico, Sport and Santa Cruz) have their own stadia, and may not be interest in playing at the Arena. There are rumors that Nautico is in talks to play matches in the Arena after 2013, but nothing is certain yet.

Does FIFA have more Power than the Brazilian Congress?

A first demonstration of power came in September of 2009, when FIFA requested to the Federal Government an extension of tax exemptions (Brazil Government had already agreed to exempt FIFA’s revenues, but FIFA said that, to host the Cup, ALL official partners should also be exempt); in May 2010, a law was approved to accommodate FIFA’s demands.

OK, in that case, the Government might say that there was a misunderstanding of the rules imposed by FIFA to all countries which apply to host the World Cup – Brazil knew the rules and should have complied with them from the start.

Then, in November of 2009, FIFA requested the city Government of Sao Paulo to change the Clean City law, so that FIFA’s partners could advertise in billboards near the stadiums (the law isn’t exclusive for those partners, but CBF already showed that will take action against ambush marketing – which means that only official partners would be allowed to adverrtise). The city of Sao Paulo (the only one in Brazil where such restrictive law exists) is still examining the matter.

Now, there is another case where the Brazilian legislation goes against FIFA interests.

Three days ago, a law was amended in Brazil to improve organization and increase safety of Sports events and fans. The law of amendment, in article 13a, reads:

“Article 13-A. These are requirements for access to and permanence in a sports venue, without prejudice of requirements determined by other laws:

II – not to bear objects, drinks or substances which are prohibited or are susceptible of generating or can possibilitate the practicing of acts of violence;”

That means that the law now prohibits alcoholic drinks in stadiums. Even before the law, CBF had already in 2008 signed a letter of compromise with the Public Prosecutors, to ban alcohol from the football matches.

Budweiser is one of the main partners of FIFA, and the corporation which owns Budweiser is also owner of the major Brazilian beer brands, such as Brahma, Skol and Antarctica (that means that Budweiser would sell lots of beer in the stadiums, if it was allowed).

Yesterday, Brazilian journalist Ancelmo Gois, who publishes a column at influential newspaper O Globo, and who is known for having good sources inside CBF and the Government, informed that “FIFA asked the suspension of the law of protection to Sports events, which Lula approved recently – the contract between FIFA and Budweiser demands that the beer is sold in stadiums during the World Cup”.

So, for FIFA to fullfil its obligations with Budweiser, the law must be suspended during the World Cup.

In Brazil, to “suspend a law”, another law is necessary.

It remains to be seen if FIFA will get that law.