Security at Olympics Will Not be Altered Says Justice Minister

By Lise Alves, Senior Contributing Reporter

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Security plans for the Rio 2016 Olympics will not be altered, despite the attacks against soldiers of Brazil’s National Security Forces on Wednesday, said Justice Minister Alexandre de Moraes on Thursday. The attack, which left one soldier dead and another injured occurred near the Maracana stadium, after they got lost and by mistake entered a slum.

“The National Force will continue to do security at the entrance and exit of all Olympic facilities as well as the internal security of the competitions while the Military Police and the Army will secure the external areas,” said the official on Thursday while attending an event at Casa Brasil, in the Olympic Boulevard.

According to the Minister security forces continue to be alert and will react to any security breach that may arise. On Thursday morning security forces entered the Vila do João favela community, part of the Complexo da Mare, to look for the shooters. According to local media three bystanders were accidentally shot and one died during the operation. No one has been arrested for the attack on the soldiers.

On Thursday Moraes also said that the analysis of the security during the first week of the Games was ‘extremely positive’. “I’ve been walking around the sporting venues talking to people every day, and I found that people are feeling safe, are heading to safe places,” said the government official, adding, “The city is safer, but there is no utopia of expecting zero criminality.”

Due to a possible bomb threat, spectators missed the beginning of the Spain VS Nigeria basketball game at Arena Carioca 1 in the Olympic Park on Thursday night, as Brazilian anti-bomb squad secured the area and detonated a suspicious backpack left near the stadium. Last week another suspicious backpack left in Copacabana led police to evacuate an area near where the cycling competition was scheduled to occur.