Written by PSTU – Brasil
Thursday, 24 April 2014 19:46
U.S. diplomatic mission arrives in the country to deal with “public security” during the matches.

The repressive apparatus planning for the FIFA World Cup seems to have no limits. After the “Complexo da Maré” occupation by the Army in Rio, which started on September 5th and will last at least until the World Cup is finished, now the U.S. government said it is going to collaborate directly with the Rio de Janeiro state Government in the “public security” issue during the period of the soccer matches. A U.S. diplomatic mission would have landed in Rio to discuss the issue in what the Americans refer to as “analysis and exchange of information for the FIFA World Cup.”

The information that the U.S. is cooperating with the government of the Rio de Janeiro state, now headed by Luiz Fernando Pezão, after the resignation of the governor Sérgio Cabral [1], was confirmed by the U.S. Consulate. Also according to the consulate, this type of collaboration also occurs with other states in Brazil that will host the World Cup matches. The action would be coordinated by the Diplomatic Security office of the U.S. Department of State. The U.S. justified its interference saying that it is a “standard procedure used by the U.S. whenever there are large sporting events such as the World Cup.”

In an article from the newspaper Folha de Sao Paulo it is stated that the U.S. will build two surveillance centers in the country during the World Cup, one in Brasilia and another in Rio. These units will be managed by the CIA, the U.S. Secret Service. FBI officers, in turn, will also be in Brazil under the pretext of accompanying the U.S. soccer team.

A War Apparatus

The Brazilian Air Force has also just bought a drone from the Israeli company Elbit Systems to monitor the soccer arenas. The same drones that the Israeli government uses to fire Palestinians as from a quite long distance. The drone, Hermes 900 model, will cost a trifling amount of US$ 8 million, by a contract that includes logistics and warranty support.

Yet according to another article from the newspaper O Globo, 57 thousand Army toops is the contingent prepared for the match days, as well 21 thousand troops that will be placed on alert, in the case of any stoppage of the Military Police [2].

The U.S. involvement in the World Cup security, which clearly indicates intimidation and repression against the protests aimed to take place during the matches, shows quite well the concern not only of the Brazilian government, but also of the imperialism itself, to guarantee the ‘tranquility’ of an event that only provides profits to the big contractors and to FIFA itself, not to mention the corruption. It is also a direct attack on the sovereignty of the country, as well as the anti-terror law to take effect during the matches, with the support and complicity of the Dilma Rousseff (PT – Workers’ Party) national government.

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[1] Sérgio Cabral (PMDB) resigned to be candidate to the Senate in the next election (October), due to the Brazilian electoral legislation. But the real reason is his decreasing popularity as Governor, which plummeted after the protests in June 2013, when he  harshly repressed the demonstrators using anti-riot troops.

[2] Strikes of the Military Police are happening in Brazil, due to low wages. The last one was in Natal (Rio Grande do Norte), together with the firefighters.

Translation: Wilma Olmo Correa