Brazillian government no longer devided on alcohol sale during World Cup?While it seems that the matter is still widely unresolved, Brazil’s sport minister has released a reassuring statement to the FIFA that the government remains committed to approving the sale of alcohol inside World Cup stadiums.

Sport minister Aldo Rebelo released a statement clarifying Brazil’s position only hours after congressmen discussed the removal of the text on the sale of alcohol from a bill regulating the World Cup. Voting on the bill was postponed again because an agreement on the subject was not reached.

Leader of the lower house Arlindo Chinaglia suggested that this section could be removed because Brazil never really make a commitment to FIFA to allow the sale of alcoholic beverages.

However, the statement by Rebelo’s said otherwise: ‘The federal government clarifies that the commitment to FIFA in relation to the sale of food and beverages inside stadiums and other venues during the World Cup is part of the bill originally submitted to the national Congress’.

The original author of the bill, congressman Vicente Candido, reaffirmed the content of Rebelo’s statement. He explained that the section on alcohol sale will stay in the bill when it’s voted on again next week. According to Candido, it were “legal advisers” who mistakenly spread the idea that Brazil was not committed to authorize the sale of alcohol.

Selling alcohol inside Brazilian stadiums is currently prohibited by law, but according to the FIFA Brazil agreed to make changes to its legislation in order to host the World Cup. The FIFA is adamant on allowing alcohol sales because Budweiser is a major World Cup sponsor. FIFA, the world’s football governing body, has even argued of a right to sell beer.

For more on this issue, also see:
1. FIFA fights Brazilian law on behalf of alcohol industry 01/24/12
2. After Brazil 2014, beer ban possibly also scratched for 2018 World Cup in Russia 01/24/12
3. IOGT International calls out FIFA: stop bullying and insulting Brazil 03/06/12

Source: miamiherald.com 03/15/12

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