From disease to robberies to pollution, there were plenty of issues in Brazil that could make a strong argument for why the 2014 World Cup should not have been held there. The visualization I chose is a photograph of two women holding up posters in front of a daunting police force with full body protection. The grand stadium where the games were held can be seen in the background. From the way this photograph was taken you can depict a lot of information.  

The written text in this photograph goes along way to describe how most citizens of Brazil are feeling and why. The two posters’ featured in this photograph give off the general message of what the photographer is trying to get across. For one, the posters allow the interpreter to see who the intended audience is; that is of course, FIFA and the Brazilian government. The women look to be apart of a large protest against the World Cup games being held in Brazil and that is why there is such a large police presence. The sign on the left is stating that the people in Brazil do not want the World Cup games to come to their homeland because they have larger issues at hand that they feel need to be dealt with first. We see these issues in the second women’s poster that states, “We need money for hospitals and education.” The argument that is trying to be made is that there are countries better off and more than capable of holding an event of this magnitude. The citizens of Brazil are upset with the fact that some people are living in the Favela, dealing with sickness and loss of life day to day, but FIFA is still coming to Brazil for an event that will end up costing fifteen billion dollars. It is difficult to see the women’s faces that are holding up the signs but it is imaginable that they are very aggravated with the decision for Brazil to host the 2014 World Cup. It can even be argued that the reason they are holding the posters in front of their faces is to hide the embarrassment and shame their emotions might show. Although we cannot actually see the emotion on the girls’ faces, the picture still tugs at the audiences heart because of the written message and endless possibilities for what face could be hiding behind the poster. 

Behind the ladies holding posters, there is a large police force present. All of the cops are armored from head to toe and carrying riot shields to protect themselves from the protesters. The problem and argument that Brazilian citizens are trying to make does not lead towards any frustration with the police, but there is still great importance of including the officers in the photo. The police blockade is there to show the level of anger and disparagement of the Brazilian people. Although you cannot see the entire mob of protesters, the massive presence of cops tells you that it is occurring and most likely not peacefully. Also, to be noticed, the police are standing between the stadium and protesters to make sure they cannot come any closer to the stadium. These officers are doing their job by keeping the safety of the fans, players, coaches, and FIFA staff inside or around the stadium, but that does not mean that some of these officers don’t feel the same way the protesters do. Just like them, they are citizens of Brazil who may be affected by this event in many sorts of ways. For instance, they could too be struggling to provide for their family and keep themselves healthy. From the look of the equipment and clothing that the officers are wearing, you can see that it is nothing compared to the uniforms of our SWAT team here in the United States. None of the officers facial expressions make them look pleased to be there, and that is most likely because they would rather be on the other side fighting along side their fellow citizens if it was not their duty and own way to support their families. 

The last aspect of the picture is the stadium that stands tall above everything else that is taking place. It can almost be looked at like a metaphor for FIFA being more important than anything else that is going on in the world. To reiterate, the argument is that Brazil was not the right country to be hosting the 2014 World Cup. FIFA, the organization in charge of this tournament, seemed to not be taking any of the possible negative consequences into consideration. Knowing that the people of Brazil were upset and that it could result in hundreds of thousands of evictions as well as leave the country in debt and with a mutual distrust in police, FIFA decided to build the stadium anyway. They ignored almost all of the negative possibilities that could come from being the host country of the World Cup, especially when Brazil was already dealing with financial struggles. The angle this photo was taken at makes the enormous stadium seem to tower over the police and the protesters. It is arguable that the reason the photographer did this was to show how an organization like FIFA could have more power than anybody else. The money that FIFA generates is far great enough to put a stadium wherever they please. So, with great reason, the citizens of Brazil earned the right to be upset and protest the creation of the stadium. 

The picture does a fantastic job at explaining the pain most citizens of Brazil were feeling at the time of the construction. A stadium that cost upwards of fifteen billion dollars was being made for a one-time purpose event, yet the citizens of their country are struggling from day to day in the Favela. The photographer was able to capture the posters, police force, and stadium all in one. By doing so, the artist made the message clear that the people of Brazil did not want this event to come to their country. The written text on the posters is there to state the argument and the police are featured to show the violent anger of the Brazilian people. Lastly, the looming stadium was used as an example to show that big organizations can have more power than an entire country. The layout and style of this picture make it much more than just a photograph; instead the photographer was able to tell the reader a story through an image. 