Brazil increases security ahead of Olympic Games

The federal government in Brazil claims that it is handing out additional funding to strengthen security ahead of next month's Olympics in Rio de Janeiro

13 July 2016, 9:23am

1 min read

The Brazilian government is handing out extra funding for security during the Olympic games next month, while Rio de Janeiro struggles for basic needs

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Brazilian sports minister Leonardo Picciani said the armed forces would get an extra $24 million (€21.73 million) to help them meet security needs.

The military would begin patrolling sports venues from 24 July, he added.

According to the BBC, more than 80,000 police and soldiers will patrol the streets of Rio de Janeiro for the duration of the games.

In recent time, political and economic woes which have engulfed Brazil, with the police in Rio recently staging demonstrations against the late payment of salaries and a lack of basic necessities like car fuel and toilet paper, according to reports.

Moreover, the state of Rio de Janeiro has recently cut budgets across the board, including that of the police.

Brazil's Senate suspended the country's president Dilma Rousseff in May, and then began impeachment proceedings against her over allegations that she manipulated the government budget ahead of her 2014 re-election campaign.

On economicic terms, government figures for the first quarter of 2016 reportedly showed that Brazil was experiencing its worst recession in 25 years.