Unpaid Rio police threaten to strike during the Olympics
POLICE hit by Rio de Janeiro’s cash crisis have threatened to strike during the Olympics, warning tourists that they are at risk in the city as officers and firefighters are not being paid.
Amid demonstrations across Rio, officers rolled out a banner reading “Welcome to hell” in the arrivals hall at the international airport. “Whoever comes to Rio de Janeiro will not be safe,” it said.
Union leaders said they had not ruled out a strike during Rio 2016, which begins on August 5. The security operation for Games venues is due to go into action on Tuesday.
“Unfortunately, living and working in this state has been a real hell,” the union for civil police officers (Col-Pol) in Rio said in a state- ment. “So far more than 50 officers have been killed and more than 300 shot this year alone in Rio de Janeiro.”
The protest came after acting governor Francisco Dornelles announced that public finances were in a “state of calamity” and warned of the possible col- lapse of key services including security and health.
The federal government was due to release R$2.9 billion (£660 million) in extra funding by the end of the month so Rio could meet its Games commitments. However, Mr Dornelles said that it had not yet arrived, telling
O Globo newspaper that the state could only afford to fill up police cars until the end of the week.
Mr Dornelles has also asked the interim president, Michel Temer, to deploy the army to Rio as the state’s police force did not have sufficient resources. He sought reinforcement for key highways as well as around the international airport.
Andrei Rodrigues, extraordinary secretary for major events security, insisted the authorities were ready.
As well as having 85,000 officers and troops, Rio will also host the biggest international police operation in Interpol’s history, with 250 officers from 55 countries.
“I have absolute certainty that everything that a country, which proposes to host an important event like the Olympics, can do, Brazil is doing and is prepared,” Mr Rodrigues said.