(ATR) The lights have not gone back on at the Maracanã, as Odebrecht tells Around the Rings it continues to "analyze" its obligations on unpaid utility bills.
Power to the stadium was cut off on Jan. 26 by utilities provider Light. A spokesperson for the company told ATR that "accounts have been in arrears since October" leading to a severing of power. The spokesperson said that it would return power after being paid by both Rio 2016 and Maracanã S.A., the consortium in charge of stadium concessions.
Maracanã S.A. is owned by Brazilian construction company Odebrecht, who has a controlling stake in the consortium, and global entertainment company AEG.
A spokesperson from Light updatedATR today that "the situation [at Maracanã] remains the same as last week."
The Maracanã has been left in limbo post-Rio 2016 after Maracanã S.A. refused to retake control of the complex. Maracanã S.A. says the condition that Rio 2016 left the stadium in after the Paralympic Games violates the "Terms of the Authorization of Use," for the stadium. A judge eventually ordered Maracanã S.A. on Jan. 14 to reassume control of the stadium or face a fine.
On Jan. 26 a spokesperson for Odebrecht told ATR that the company would pay $310,000 [R$1 million], for the unpaid bills for November and December, the next day.
Four days later the months of November and December have not been paid, a spokesperson from Odebrecht confirmed to ATR. The company continues to "analyze the light bills" and has not decided if it will pay Light, since the Maracanã was not under the consortium’s operation.
"Part of the debt is referring to the games held in the stadium in the months of November and December," the spokesperson said. "These games did not happen during the management of the concessionaire, who only reassumed the complex on January 18."
Without power to provide irrigation techniques, degradation of the football pitch in the stadium will continue. The Football Federation of Rio de Janeiro requested on Jan. 27 to use the Maracanã for the semi-finals and finals of the first half of the Rio State football championship. The matches are scheduled to take place from Feb. 25-March 5.
Written by Aaron Bauer
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