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Geral

May 21, 2016 12:30 PM

Security at the Games

Minister of Defence says that Defence commitments for Rio 2016 are on schedule

Raul Jungmann visited sports facilities in Rio and attended meetings at the Integrated Security Executive Committee and with Mayor Eduardo Paes

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Picture: Ministry of Defence

Minister of Defence Raul Jungmann visited the Navy's Admiral Adalberto Nunes Physical Education Centre (Cefan) on Thursday (19 May) as part of a series of activities aimed at supporting the Olympic and Paralympic Games. During a presentation of the Navy Olympic Program (Prolim), which benefits about 240 high performance athletes, and the Armed Forces in Sports Programme (Profesp), the minister pointed out that the Ministry's level of commitment to the Games in Brazil is on schedule.

"We will deploy 38,000 men in the Olympics, and will also have a contingency force ready to act upon any unexpected event. Be it for the regular Games or for any need that may occur, we will have military personnel brought in from other states," said the minister. "Rio is ready, and we want to make the Games a milestone for Brazil's recognition. I believe we will contribute significantly to ensure the Games take place smoothly and peacefully," he added.

At the Cefan, the minister toured the sports facilities and the areas that will be used as official training venues for the preparation of military and civilian athletes during the Games, which will be left as a legacy to Brazilian athletes. "As part of a successful policy, the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces have developed programs for the inclusion and promotion of our athletes, and the result has contributed for Brazil to become an Olympic and military Olympic powerhouse," he said. "It was thrilling to hear the testimonials of young people who are having the opportunity to show their talent on behalf of Brazil," he said.

The Profesp, a partnership between the Ministries of Defence, Sport, and Social Development and Fight against Hunger, helps 279 students at the Cefa (a number that will increase to 350 by June). The construction works for the gymnasium where the Olympic weightlifting teams will train will be completed in June (there are currently 60 athletes of this sport training at the Cefan gym). The goal is for the site to be the first in Latin America to have a gym specifically for training of athletes of this sport. The venue received funds from the Ministry of Sport and will be fit to host national and international competitions.

The Cefan has also entered individual partnerships during the Games, like the one with the Jamaican Olympic athletics team, famous for star sprinter Usain Bolt. Other teams that will train at the Cefan include the Cuban boxing team, the Portuguese judo team, the South Korean modern pentathlon team, the New Zealand women's football team and the Puerto Rican athletics, wrestling and taekwondo teams, all of which will use the Navy centre for acclimatisation purposes. During the Games, the Cefan will be the headquarters for foreign football, volleyball and water polo teams. After the Olympics, the structure will be left as a legacy to Brazilian athletes.

Besides the Cefan, the Army Physical Training Centre (Ccfex) and the Air Force University (UNIFA) in Campo dos Afonsos will also be used for training.

The Cefan will be used as headquarters for acclimatisation purposes by a number of foreign delegations coming for the Rio 2016 Games. After the competitions, the venue will be left as a legacy to Brazilian athletes. Picture: Ministry of Defence

Security at the Games

Regarding the organisation of the Games, Minister Raul Jungmann emphasised the importance of the intelligence community's return to the Institutional Security Office (GSI), now led by a minister. "This is important, because it affords authority, scope and dialogue capacity that the previous GSI did not have," he stressed.

During the Games, there will be an Intelligence Centre with the participation of professionals from sixty countries. "We will have intelligence officers from around the world shared with us so that we can host the Olympics with security and peace", he said. Still in the morning, the minister flew over the areas where the Rio 2016 Olympic Games will be held.

In the afternoon, Jungmann attended a meeting of the Regional Integrated Security Executive Committee about the role of the Defence sector in the Olympics. The Security Secretary of Rio de Janeiro, José Mariano Beltrame, said that he will ask for military reinforcement to work in certain places during the Olympics. "We will ask for support of armed forces personnel in patrolling certain parts of the city," said Beltrame. He also said that the areas will be mapped with the support of the civil and military (state-level) police. "The purpose of the request for outside forces is to free police officers to take care of the state, citizens and tourists," he explained.

An integrated task force including members of the Armed Forces, Ministry of Justice, Brazilian Intelligence Agency (Abin) and security agencies linked to state and municipal governments will work to ensure the safety and security of the largest event ever held in South America.

The military will be in action during the games in Rio and the cities that will host football matches: Brasilia, São Paulo, Belo Horizonte, Salvador and Manaus. About 20,000 of these soldiers will be stationed in Rio de Janeiro, divided between the four Olympic regions: Copacabana, Maracanã, Barra da Tijuca and Deodoro.
Coordinated by the State Security Secretariat of Rio de Janeiro, the meeting was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Justice, the Air Defence General Coordination, the Brazilian Intelligence Agency (Abin), the National Protection and Civil Defence Secretariat, the Fire Department, and the East military commander of the Army, General Fernando Azevedo e Silva.

Integrated Command and Control Centre

Located at the Cidade Nova in downtown Rio, the Integrated Command and Control Centre (CICC) will be the core manager of Games security in Rio de Janeiro. The CICC usually works with a focus on the routine of the Metropolitan Region, gathering 1,200 people who work at the Centre every day. They coordinate work with nine directly-related institutions as well with emergency services such as the healthcare emergency service (SAMU), the police emergency service and the fire emergency brigade. The CICC has representatives from municipal, state and federal government agencies and is a legacy left to the state. It has already been incorporated into the routine of Civil Defence and public safety forces, and will continue in operation after the Olympic Games.

Minister Raul Jungmann also met with Mayor Eduardo Paes to discuss the Olympics. The mayor reassured Jungmann that the works will be delivered on schedule and that the investments were made with proper planning and budgets. "The London Olympic Stadium alone cost more than all our arenas together. The support of the Armed Forces is desired and important to the city," he said.

Source: Ministry of Defence