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Brazil's defense chief guarantees security of Olympic Games

Xinhua, July 7, 2016 Adjust font size:

Brazil's Minister of Defense, Raul Jungmann, on Wednesday said the government will not skimp on security during the upcoming Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

"There will not be a lack of security at the Rio Olympics, no way, no how," Jungmann said at a press conference designed to allay fears that a public-sector cash crunch in Brazil would lead to cutbacks in safety measures.

In response to a request from Rio state Gov. Francisco Dornelles, Brazil's military will deploy more troops than initially planned to ensure the security of the games, said the minister.

"When we speak of 21,000 (troops), we are talking about (the city of) Rio de Janeiro (only)," said Jungmann.

"Originally, our estimation was that we would have 18,000 men working directly at the Rio Olympics. However, the governor requested more troops be deployed, so we allocated another 3,000 men," he said.

"We will meet all the requirements the International Olympic Committee delegated us to make," said Jungmann.

In the wake of stepped-up terrorist strikes around the world, coupled with Brazil's well-known financial woes, public concern about safety at the games has been more acute than usual.

At a press conference on Tuesday, Brazil's Justice Minister Alexandre de Moraes said that the probability of a terrorist attack during the Games was "minimal."

On Wednesday, Jungmann added that planes attempting to enter the air space above the Olympic venues without prior authorization could be downed by the air force.

"If any aircraft enters the exclusion zone, the aviation force will be authorized to shoot to destroy. We are ready," he said.

The army will have 12 ships, 1,169 vehicles, 70 tanks, 28 helicopters, 48 boats and 174 motorcycles at its disposal for security operations, he added.

The Brazilian navy, meanwhile, has made 4,000 naval gunners available to the Rio state government for security during the games.

In all, 21 different government agencies are involved in providing security at the Olympics, at an estimated cost of 1.5 billion reals (450 million U.S. dollars) over the four-year period leading up to the games.

The total number of security forces to be deployed during the games amounts to some 85,000, including military troops and police officers.

The Olympic Games will run from Aug. 5 to 21, and be followed by the Paralympic Games, from Sept. 7 to 18. Enditem