Brazil’s military to strengthen Rio’s security during G20 summit: security official

Brazilian armed forces will be deployed to strengthen security at the meeting of 20 leading economies in Rio de Janeiro next month, the city’s secretary of state for security said on Tuesday.

Under Brazilian law, the country’s president has the power to temporarily deploy the military to a specific region to patrol the streets as police in cases where the usual security forces are not sufficient to handle the situation.

The measure, known as Guarantee of Law and Order (GLO), has previously been used to strengthen security at other global events Brazil hosts, such as the 2014 World Cup, the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro and the 2012 United Nations Summit in Rio. +20.

“This law will definitely be used,” Rio de Janeiro Secretary of State for Security Victor Santos told reporters on Tuesday when asked about the G20 heads of government meeting. “The host country is responsible for ensuring the safety of those who come,” he added.

Leaders including US President Joe Biden and China’s Xi Jinping confirmed they will be in Rio de Janeiro for the G20 summit, which will take place from November 18 to 19.

According to Santos, the forces would be deployed in the city of Rio de Janeiro, and not throughout the state.

Neither Brazil’s presidential office nor the Defense Ministry immediately responded to requests for comment on the Rio de Janeiro secretary’s comments.

In recent weeks, Rio de Janeiro has seen a series of violent incidents, with several hijackers using dozens of city buses to barricade streets and block police access after freeing passengers.