Brazilians' lack of familiarity with terrorist threats concerning to authorities

The Brazilian Intelligence Agency believes external agents linked to

Publicado em 02/03/2016 - 18:08 Por Felipe Pontes reports from Agência Brasil - Brasília

Paris(França) Homenagens as pessoas mortas nos ataques terroristas a capital francesa (Giselle Garcia/Agência Brasil)

Terrorist attack in Paris: A situation never experienced by Brazilians Giselle Garcia/Agência Brasil

Amidst the preparations for the security scheme ahead of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, Brazilians' lack of familiarity with terrorist threats has the Defense Ministry, the Federal Police, and the Brazilian Intelligence Agency (ABIN) concerned.

After the Paris attacks in November—one of which allegedly in the Stade de France, where the French and German national teams were playing an amateur game—ABIN's alerts for terrorist threats in major sports events were raised.

Brazil's agencies for defense, security and intelligence then decided to launch awareness raising campaigns directed at professionals who will have direct contact with the public during the games, such as hotel workers, cab drivers, and security guards in private commercial centers. The goal is to make them capable of identifying potential risks and take appropriate action.

“We want to raise awareness so that people take action when faced by a threat,” said General Mauro Sinott Lopes, in charge of the Join Command for the Fight Against Terrorism, of the Armed Forces.

Dubbed Stage of Perception of Terrorist Threats, the events are being carried out in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo and will also be taken to every city where football matches are to be held.

Main Threat

ABIN says their top concern is the lone wolves, i.e., individuals who may be contaminated with the ideology of radical groups and decide to act on their own during the Olympics.

“We have in our country a Salafi community, connected with the Islamic State, which may interpret this sort of message as an opportunity to engage in some kind of action,” argued ABIN Anti-Terrorism Department Director Luiz Sallaberry.

“That's our concern. That's why the threat level for the Olympic Games are a bit higher. There are nationals who identify with this kind of organization in the Brazilian territory, and there's also the possibility of external agents coming to our country, either legally or illegally,” Sallaberry added.


Translated by Fabrício Ferreira


Fonte: Brazilians' lack of familiarity with terrorist threats concerning to authorities

Edição: Nádia Franco / Olga Bardawil

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