Sobre a cegueira de quem só vê a bola: uma análise dos conceitos Sportswashing e do National Branding à luz do Programa Visit Rwanda

Abstract

This research analyzed the Visit Rwanda program through the lens of the concepts of nation branding and sportswashing. The objective was to determine whether the initiative constitutes a legitimate international promotion strategy or a mechanism to conceal political and social problems in Rwanda. The analysis revealed that Visit Rwanda does not meet the criteria of nation branding but aligns with sportswashing: its international narrative contradicts the domestic reality of repression and human rights violations, and its intentionality is notably political and autocratic. Considering the theory of extraversion, it was identified that the program is part of a strategy to mobilize external resources to consolidate internal legitimacy. It is concluded that Visit Rwanda is a paradigmatic case of sportswashing, highlighting the limits of using sport as a symbolic tool without effective political transformations.