Brazil to deploy 38,000 military personnel for Rio Olympics security

Rio 2016 Olympic mascot Vinicius greets the audience during the inauguration of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games Tennis Center in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Dec 12, 2015. [Photo/Agencies]

BRASILIA - Brazil's Defense Minister, Aldo Rebelo, announced on Wednesday that 38,000 military personnel will be deployed to carry out security operations during the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

20,000 of them will be based in Rio de Janeiro. The other 18,000 military personnel will ensure safety in five other cities where soccer matches will take place and the capital city Brasilia is one of the five.

The security budget for the Games, both for the preparation and during the event, is 704 million reais ($190 million). Out of this amount, 240 million reais (65 million) will be invested in deploying troops.

Combining the military personnel and security agents, a total of 85,000 men will be available in operations when they are required. This figure will double the security personnel number at the London Olympic Games.

Rio de Janeiro will receive around 10,500 athletes from 206 countries and regions and security will be the joint responsibility of the Defense and Justice Ministries and the Brazilian Intelligence Agency.

"The national surveillance and intelligence system will work together before and during the Olympic Games," said Rebelo.

The government expects the Olympic Games to go ahead without political demonstrations, like what happened in the 2014 soccer World Cup, according to Rebelo.

"I think there won't be any public protests like in 2013 or in the World Cup. The Olympics will take place in a much calmer atmosphere," added the minister.

Regarding the government's strategy to prevent the spread of Zika, Rebelo explained that around 5,000 military personnel are carrying out operations against the Aedes Aegypti mosquito that spreads the disease.

The Rio Olympics will take place between Aug 5 and 21 and the Paralympics will be between Sept 7 and 18.