RIO DE JANEIRO, July, 7, 2016 (XINHUA) -- Brazil's Minister of Defense Raul Jungmann (R) and Brazil's Minister of Justice Alexandre de Moraes (L) arrive at the press conference held at the Comando Militar do Leste (CML), in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on July 6, 2016. Brazil will deploy tens of thousands of troops in Rio's streets to ensure the safety of athletes, officials, residents and an estimated 600,000 foreign visitors. In total there will be 85,000 security personnel - including armed forces, police and security agents - patrolling the city during the Games. (Xinhua/Li Ming)
RIO DE JANEIRO, July 6 (Xinhua) -- With a month to go before the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, the final preparations are being made. However, organizers cannot afford to relax as increasing concerns about security are dominating global headlines.
In recent weeks, a rise in street violence, coupled with police protests over unpaid salaries and growing acts of terror around the world, has led to an increasing feeling of insecurity.
Brazilian authorities have insisted that Olympic security plans are in place and that the event will take place peacefully. As part of this, 85,000 police and soldiers will be deployed on the streets of Rio during the Games, more than double the numbers seen during London 2012.
In a press conference on Tuesday, Brazil's Justice Minister Alexandre de Moraes said that the probability of a terrorist attack during the Games is "minimal".
"All the international security and intelligence agencies estimate there is no probability of a terrorist act" beyond "the possibility that exists anywhere in the world," said de Moraes.
However, terrorism is not the main challenge facing security in Rio, where growing street crime has worried organizers and athletes alike.
In recent weeks, foreign athletes have been mugged, a truck carrying broadcasting equipment for German media was stolen and homicides have happened in the Souza Aguiar hospital, one of the hospitals recommended for tourists, and along the highway leading to the Tom Jobim international airport.
According to official statistics, cases of homicide were up 6.1 percent and cases of mugging were up 42.9 percent in May 2016 over the same month in 2015.
This problem has been exacerbated by the growing anger among Rio de Janeiro's state police, who are facing lengthy delays to their salaries while stating there is a lack of fuel for their cars and of paper to take down reports at police stations.
On Monday, a group of police again protested at the Tom Jobim airport and held up a placard saying "Welcome to Hell."
This situation led interim governor Francisco Dornelles to declare a "public calamity" concerning the state's finances last month. He asked for the help of the central government, which unblocked around 850 million U.S. dollars to help the state pay salaries and meet other obligations.
The minister of Justice said Tuesday that the delayed salaries would be paid by Wednesday.
If so, the next few days will tell whether this will begin to dispel tensions, calm security forces and allow Olympic security preparations to be made smoothly.
