Despite the almost daily tales of cataclysm and corruption, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the organizers of the Rio 2016 games continue to insist it will be a success. In one very narrow sense, they are correct. Between the opening ceremony this Friday (Aug. 5), and the closing ceremony on Aug. 22, the games will, as they always do, provide fans with hours upon hours of high-performance athletic competition. The games’ broadcasters and advertisers will be pleased, and the views will be spectacular. After all, this is a city that managed to stage the Pan American Games in 2007 even as Complexo de Alemao—a large favela located a mile or so from the games’ main stadium—was under lockdown, and police and drug gangs fought running battles in the streets.