The Olympics start on Friday, but the Brazilian government fired the private firm that should have provided security for the Olympics.
The firm Artel needed to hire 3,400 people, but only hired 500. Question is, why did the Ministry of Justice react now instead of earlier? The company also never had experience dealing with a major sporting event.
Now they will use police and ex-soldiers:
Justice Minister Alexandre Moraes said that members of the federal government’s National Force, along with active and retired police from Rio and other states, will comprise the corps of 3,000 people screening fans and running metal detectors at Olympic venues.Moraes has said that the main security concern is crime against visitors. But fears of potential terror attacks grew after Brazil last week arrested several people who allegedly swore allegiance to the Islamic State militant group and supposedly planned to carry out attacks.
Wait. The police? They mean these police????
Yes, those police that greeted tourists at the airport with signs that said welcome to hell! The Rio government has not paid their police or firefighters “for months.” But that government deflected blame to the federal government. Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes said the federal government has done a “terrible job” bringing in security for the Olympics, but also said this could affect Rio after the games. The majority of events will take place in safer spots, “but some tourists are likely to stay in central neighborhoods closer to problem areas.”
In May, Brazilian soccer star Rivaldo used his Instagram account to encourage people not to attend the Olympics due to violence and corruption. He said:
Bandits in Rio de Janeiro killed this 17-year-old girl. Things are getting uglier in Brazil. I advise everyone who wants to visit Brazil or come to the Olympics in Rio to remain in their country of origin. Your life will be in danger here. Not to mention the fact that the public hospitals are useless and the mess in Brazilian politics. Only God can change the situation in our Brazil.
Rivaldo used a picture of 17-year-old Ana Beatriz Pereira Frade. Armed robbers surrounded Frade and her stepfather on their way to the airport. One of the men shot her in the head after her stepfather attempted to run into the gang to escape. A baby in the back of the car did not receive any injuries.
In January, Forbes called Brazil the murder capital of the world after 22 cities made it into the top 50 list of most violent cities in the world.
The government has assured participating countries that no one should worry, but stadiums and areas have not received basic security equipment. A person involved in the process said it takes four to eight months to install cameras.
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