(ATR) One of the organizers for Rio 2016 Olympic security stepped down for criticizing the government.
Colonel Adilson Moreira was in charge of the National Force for Public Security, which will deploy 80,000 individuals to protect the Olympic Games. The Justice Ministry confirmed his resignation on March 31, but declined to give a reason. Brazilian media soon reported that Moreira was asked to resign after he sent emails criticizing President Dilma Rousseff and other senior government officials.
"There is no reason to worry," Andrei Rodrigues, head of the Ministry of Special Security for Major Events (SESGE), said to media following the resignation.
"Instability, political turbulence and economic difficulties are bad and they can generate uncertainty, but people should know that our security operations involve more than 80,000 people."
Requests for further comment from the SESGE from Around the Rings were not returned.
Moreira is the second government official with connections to the 2016 Olympic Games to resign this week. On March 30, sports minister George Hilton resigned his position in a government shakeup. Ricardo Leyser was appointed acting sports minister in his place.
Protests Expected During Relay
A former Brazilian security official expects protesters to be present along the route the Olympic flame takes around Brazil.
Colonel Jose Vicente da Silva, former Brazilian secretary of state for public security, told the AP that protesters could take advantage of the relay to broadcast their cause all over Brazil.
"Wherever the torch goes, there will be a camera on it," da Silva said. "There will be banners for or against President Rousseff. There is a chance of big protests during the torch relay."
The 2016 Olympic torch relay begins in the Brazilian capital Brasilia on May 3. It will travel to over 300 cities across the country until it reaches the Maracana Stadium on Aug. 5. According to Rio 2016 over 90 percent of the Brazilian population will be reached by the torch.
Brazil has seen large demonstrations as a result of the current political crisis the government is facing. Millions of Brazilians marched on March 13 to protest corruption in the government. Since those protests, other demonstrations in the spirit of protecting Brazilian democracy have been held in support of ending current impeachment proceedings against President Dilma Rousseff.
According to media reports, Rio 2016 says they are aware of the possibility of protests during the torch relay. Requests for further comment from Rio 2016 regarding security plans for the torch relay were not returned to ATR.
Written by Aaron Bauer in Rio de Janeiro
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