RIO DE JANEIRO — Back on August 5, the day the Rio Olympics started, United Nations president Ban Ki-moon participated in the final leg of the torch relay, which had already been beset by angry anti-Olympic protestors around Brazil, on its way to the Opening Ceremony.
Still, Ban set aside the ugly contemporary politics of Brazil, where the president is now undergoing impeachment hearings and much of the government is facing corruption charges, to pin some hope on the Games’ ability to transcend political conflict and remind nations of our shared humanity. “In that spirit, we proclaim the Olympic Truce,” Ban said.