Lights at Rio de Janeiro’s Olympics Stadium Off Due to Unpaid Bills

Due to a row over unpaid power bills, the lights have gone out at Rio de Janeiro’s crumbling Maracana stadium, the Brazilian news portal O Globo reported.

The football stadium, which played host to the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2016 Summer Olympics, has been shuttered for weeks over unpaid bills which local utility firm Light says total 2.8 million reals (882,000 dollars.)

The arena is in a state of decay only months after the Olympics because of an ongoing conflict between the company which runs it and the organizers of the Games.

Several changes within the stadium were necessary for the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympics, and the consortium that runs the stadium says it was not returned to them afterwards in the state it was before the Games.

Meanwhile, the Olympics organizers are struggling to pay the remaining bills and can’t expect a cash injection from Rio de Janeiro state as it is also suffering financial troubles.