RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — An army general has been nominated to take over as head of the public body that coordinates planning for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff picked Major General Fernando Azevedo e Silva to lead the Olympic Public Authority, which coordinates preparations for the games among Brazil’s national, state and local governments.
The announcement was made in Brazil’s official gazette Tuesday.
Marcio Fortes resigned from the post in August, complaining the office had been marginalized.
The nomination, which goes to Brazil’s senate, comes a week after Brazil’s national auditing office reported more delays in organizing South America’s first Olympics.
Brazil’s Federal Court of Accounts said only 5 percent of a planned $746 million had been spent in a three-year period ending in 2012. The slow start has worried International Olympic Committee inspectors.
