Security measures for Olympics in Brazil to be revised

The Brazilian government's security concerns ahead of the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro grew after the attack carried out Thursday (Jul. 14) in Nice, France, Defense Minister Raul Jungmann said today (15). “It's evident that some facts are alarming. Our concerns with security are growing, no doubt,” he said.

In an interview to Rádio Nacional de Brasília, Jungmann announced that every security procedure linked to the competition is to be revised. “We're going to step up our previous efforts—expand the barrier control scheme, the check-point, the use of metal detectors,” he declared.

“We're working with close to a hundred global intelligence services, from countries such as Israel, the US, England, Russia, and France. We've had so far no concrete or potential threat of terrorism during the Olympic Games here in Brazil,” he added.

According to him, delegations such as that of the US and also France itself were classified by the Brazilian government as high risk. This means, for instance, that athletes will be housed in less busy and easier-to-control locations, like the Navy School. “Obviously, there are extra security measures, bolstered and compatible with the level of risk we have assessed.”

The minister pointed out that Brazil is hosting the first Olympic Games at an international intelligence and information center, which should bring together representatives from the intelligence as well as secret and information services from 106 countries. “We've created an integrated anti-terrorism center, which will operate throughout the Olympic and Paralympic Games and will also have units wherever competitions are held,” Jungmann said.

He underlined that all duties and engagements assigned the country by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) have been fulfilled, and added that a total 47 thousand men will be employed in the security scheme during the Olympic Games, including the Army, the National Force, the Military Police, the Civil Police, the Federal Police, and the Federal Highway Police.

Translated by Fabrício Ferreira