Brazil Protecting It's Wine Industry From Outsiders

Brazilian Sports Minister Aldo Rebelo guarantees support of Brazilian wines as official sponsors of the 2014 World Cup, according to IBRAVIN. After meeting with a number of representatives from Brazil's wine sector, Rebelo said, "The World Cup is not only the biggest sporting event worldwide, but also a big opportunity for our development, to show our virtues. Hence the interest in supporting the national viticulture." Congressman Jeronimo Goergen explained that Rebelo's support "buried once and for all the possibility of foreign wines sponsoring the event." Goergen added: "We understand the World Cup stage cannot be used for propaganda for outside products." Goergen finished by saying that "the objective is reproducing what other host nations did before and defend the interest of our products, as was the case with beer in Germany and wine in South Africa" (IBRAVIN, 6/20).