Rubber bullets, drones and FBI-trained riot police. Welcome to Brazil's 2014 World Cup.
One year since millions
marched in protest against the government and the staging of the world's
most glamorous sporting event, Brazil is steeling itself.Notably in Belo
Horizonte, the country's third largest city and home to 5.5 million
people. Here, the police are leaving nothing to chance.Last year, as tires
burned and protests raged during the Confederations Cup, a warmup
competition for next month's football showpiece, the night sky above Belo turned red.The city's authorities
are determined that won't happen again, so in March, a week-long
training session with the FBI was arranged."The training with the
FBI took place here in Belo where our officers were able to exchange
experiences with colleagues and American agents," Patrícia Luíza Costa,
chief of the teaching division at the Academy de Policia Civil de Minas
Gerais, told CNN.
"The FBI agents were here for a week and we had 308 officers registering to take up 43 places."
The U.S. Federal Bureau
of Investigation has offered advice on a number of areas ranging from
organized crime, peacekeeping and the importance of maintaining respect
for human rights."This is the first time an event the size of the World Cup will come to Minas and Belo," added Costa."But our officers have gained experience from visiting South Africa at the 2010 World Cup and the London Olympic Games."That allowed us to learn from large events and London is our own example."The Brazilian government is expected to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on security before and during the World Cup.Riots across the country
sparked violent clashes between police and protesters on the streets of
Belo as well as in Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and other regions.Last month, Brazilian star Neymar told CNN that he supported "peaceful protests.""My opinion is that
protesting, there's no problem with it, as long as it is peaceful
without violence, without vandalism," the Barcelona forward said."If it's for Brazil getting better, they have to protest."
Neymar's blessing or not, the protests show no sign of going away.


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