Brazil’s best-selling author has attacked the country’s decision to appoint Tony Blair as a paid consultant to the 2016 Rio Olympics, branding the former British Prime Minister a “war criminal” with “blood-stained hands”.
Paulo Coelho, who was part of the official Rio delegation that attended the International Olympic Committee session in Copenhagen last October when it became the first South American city to be awarded the Games, says no company in its “right mind” would back the move after it emerged that private sponsors will pay Blair’s fee.
Coelho, whose book The Alchemist has sold 35 million copies in 67 languages, is critical of Blair’s role in the Iraq War, reports website Inside the Games.
He said: "We are going to pay Tony Blair as an adviser for Rio 2016? An irresponsible person who declared an illegal war? I was in Copenhagen for the athletes, not for murderers. Not in my name. Not in my country.
"Blair's appointment will lower Brazil's reputation in the eyes of the world. He has no standing in his own country, he failed as a negotiator in the Middle East, he lost his job because of the Iraq War and he has the blood of English soldiers on his hands.
"At this stage I hope this is a bad nightmare, and the Brazilian private sector will not sponsor his participation. Nobody in their right mind will look for investments with a person who has the blood-stained hands.”
The majority of the Brazilian public appear to agree with Coelho. An online poll by O Globo found that 83 per cent were against the appointment of Blair.
However, governor of Rio State Sergio Cabral, who offered Blair the role, responded: “Paulo Coelho is a fine author, but Rio can use the organisational skills of a political leader who won the 2012 Games for London."
