clipped from www.breitbart.com

Rio de Janeiro's posh beach neighborhoods lost power for hours in sweltering summer weather Tuesday, prompting restaurants to toss out spoiled food and business owners to send their employees home.

"I've never seen anything like this," said Perreira, 40. "If this keeps happening, how can this city host big events? You can't leave Ipanema without electricity."

Organizers of the 2016 Olympics are pitching host city Rio as a potential "power island" immune from blackouts, though experts have said the creation of such a safe energy haven would require large investments.