Belo Horizonte, Brazil, 8 June 2014: Dilma Rousseff, President of Brazil, today praised Belo Horizonte as a city with ‘quality’ that will provide a ‘warm welcome’ for the many tourists that will visit during the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The young and dynamic capital of Minas Gerais, the country’s fastest growing state, will host six matches, including a semi-final, during the tournament that starts this week.

Speaking at the opening of Belo Horizonte City Hall’s new Operations Centre, President Rousseff also commented positively on the legacy that the 2014 FIFA World Cup will leave for local residents of Belo Horizonte as they prepare biggest moment in the city’s history.

President Rousseff, said:

“I am impressed with the Operations Centre that Mayor Marcio Lacerda is delivering today for the city. It is an installation on par with the growth that the city presents today and in the future. The public mobility improvements that Belo Horizonte undertook, with the support of the Federal Government, are essential for many cities in Brazil.

“I believe that Belo Horizonte is going to attract many tourists during the World Cup because of the quality of the city. These works delivered by Mayor Marcio Lacerda are not for the tourists to take home in their suitcase as they will remain here for the benefit of the city’s population. However, what I know that tourists will take home with them in their heart is the warm welcome that the people of Minas Gerais and Belo Horizonte are capable of extending to people.”

The new Operations Centre, opened by President Rousseff, marks the final delivery of the works the city of Belo Horizonte has undergone ahead of the tournament. The centre will ensure increased efficiency in the oversight of the city by government authorities and will oversee public transport operations, accident response units and urban sanitation projects, helping to deliver a smooth experience for visiting fans during the tournament while also delivering tangible benefits for the citizens of Belo Horizonte.

Located within an hour’s flight from Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and Brasilia, Belo Horizonte is ideally positioned for fans who wish to follow their teams around the country. The Mineirão Stadium, the city’s 62,500 capacity FIFA World Cup venue, was completed well in advance of the 2013 Confederations Cup and has since held many international and domestic matches and large scale music events.

Speaking about President Rouseff’s comments and the final days of preparation, The Mayor of Belo Horizonte, Marcio Lacerda, said:

“We thank President Rousseff for her positive comments about our city. The opening of our new Operations Centre marks the final delivery of our works and we are ready to welcome the world to Belo Horizonte for what will be a tremendous celebration for our people and the fans that will travel to the city. We look forward to the forthcoming four weeks and witnessing some world-class football played in the Mineirão stadium.”

“We have invested R$1.5 billion into our city’s infrastructure to ensure that we deliver a fantastic World Cup experience for the football fans and looking beyond the tournament, we will work very hard to ensure that we also deliver a long-lasting legacy for the people of Belo Horizonte.”
-ENDS-
Note to Editors:

For more information about Belo Horizonte’s role in the 2014 FIFA World Cup visit: www.belo2014.com

The 2014 FIFA World Cup group fixtures that will be played in Belo Horizonte are:

Colombia v Greece – Saturday 14 June 2014
Belgium v Algeria – Tuesday 17 June 2014
Argentina v Iran – Saturday 21 June 2014
Costa Rica v England – Tuesday 24 June 2014

Hosts and tournament favourites, Brazil, will also play their last 16 game in Belo Horizonte if they win Group A. The city will also host asemi-final.

Named ‘World Bar Capital’ by The New York Times, Belo Horizonte is also famed for its many cultural delights. The city is home to many works of celebrated Brazilian architect, Oscar Niemeyer, and it is also the gateway to several tourist places within the region such as Ouro Preto, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Inhotim Institute, located 60km from the city, is the largest open-air contemporary art museum in the world.

Looking beyond the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Belo Horizonte will also play a key role in the delivery of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games by hosting a selection of matches in the Olympic football tournament, while Team GB athletes will also use the city’s top class facilities to train and prepare ahead of South America’s first ever Olympic Games.

Images:

Please find attached two low resolution images of President Rousseff meeting local citizens and officials from city authorities in Belo Horizonte today. High resolution images are available on request.

For more information:

VERO Communications
Robert Fawdon
Tel: +44 [0]20 7379 4000
Mob: +44 [0]7769 216 649
Em: rfawdon@verocom.co.uk
Tw: @robertwfawdon