Brazil: Economic emergency, no excuse to cut social services and security short ahead of Olympics
| Publisher | Amnesty International |
| Publication Date | 17 June 2016 |
| Cite as | Amnesty International, Brazil: Economic emergency, no excuse to cut social services and security short ahead of Olympics, 17 June 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/576795744.html [accessed 18 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
A new decree by the governor of Rio de Janeiro authorizing spending cuts ahead of the 2016 Olympic Games must not be used as an excuse to cut short basic services and training for security forces to be deployed in favelas, Amnesty International said.
"The decision to cut down on social services and security ahead of the Rio Olympics is not only shocking but incredibly worrying, particularly given Rio's utterly poor record when it comes to homicides and police killings," said Atila Roque, Brazil Director at Amnesty International.
"What Rio needs is not less but more investment to ensure security forces that will be deployed across the state are properly trained to prevent the kind of human rights violations we have been documenting for years."
"This is not the time to hide behind numbers. Authorities in Rio de Janeiro have a responsibility to keep its people safe. Failing to take this responsibility seriously will only end up in more pain and suffering."
