The threats to the World Cup
Twelve kilometers from Brazil’s presidential palace, the Planalto, in Brasília, police from all over the country are working round the clock in a control room that will handle all the emergency situations that could arise during the World Cup in Brazil. Dozens of monitors, providing a panel of national coverage will receive images captured in real time from the 12 state capitals that will host one of the world’s most important sporting events. From this room, police and intelligence agents will exchange information on suspected criminals and assess potential risks to supporters, teams and authorities. Based on the information they receive from groups in the field, they will outline strategies to resolve any crises arising from street demonstrations, bomb threats or how to confront gangs of supporters wearing their team’s colors. Security for the World Cup will involve 100,000 men, including police, federal agents and members of the armed forces who will be backed up by helicopters, planes, vehicles and drones. The operations center set up in Brasília will be the command post for the entire chain. It will operate 24 hours a day and be connected to similar bases in all the host cities.
The federal government is responsible for ensuring that everything goes perfectly smoothly and that nothing disrupts or prevents Brazil from putting on the “Cup of Cups” as President Dilma Rousseff repeats every time she refers to the event. However, this official optimism is relative. With less than 100 days to go before the first game kicks off, official documents show that the investment of almost R$ 2 billion made in the security plan has not been exaggerated. VEJA had access to a report produced by the Brazilian Intelligence Agency (known locally as Abin) that lists six groups with the potential to disrupt or even prevent the championship going ahead. The documents were forwarded to the President’s office last month and reveal a scenario that considers the possibility of terrorist activities and the risk of attacks by criminal organizations, such as Brazil’s First Capital Command (PCC), as well as the likelihood of sudden strikes by public employees and staff in categories regarded as of strategic importance. The document also raises actions by common criminals and fights among supporters as risk factors to the Cup.
“Sources of threats ready to cause damage, block or even prevent the sporting event going ahead have been registered within the country,” stated the report dated February 5. The document gives details of the six “sources of threat”, assesses the potential of each one and recommends preventative actions. In their references to the risk of terrorist attacks, for example, the agents stress that no extremist actions have been recorded in Brazil but point out that the massive presence of foreigners in the country could trigger actions by organizations like Al Qaeda, founded by Osama bin Laden, or encourage isolated attacks by “lone wolves” in the name of radical groups. “Attacking a large number of people of different nationalities is an interesting opportunity for this kind of action,” the Abin officials wrote. The report recognizes that it is “virtually impossible” to foresee attacks by “lone wolves”, particularly as they operate in isolation with no direct contact with targets known to be linked to terrorist groups. It makes the following recommendation: “It is important to have security measures established at the site of the events to be protected”.
The same level of concern applies to coordinated threats from criminal organizations, such as the PCC. The agents refer to the possibility of rebellions erupting during the competition in order to “draw attention to the precarious state of the penal system” and attempts at mass escapes from prisons as criminals take advantage of the fact that police will be overloaded with security operations at the World Cup. On another front, the report devotes special attention to the possibility of stoppages by categories of staff regarded as essential for the championship to go ahead. Among the workers who could stop work and cause problems during the World Cup, the intelligence agency highlights public employees in the areas of health, highways, metros and security agents. This latter group includes the different kinds of municipal and local police, firefighters, federal police and highway workers, prison guards and private security service providers. Any stoppage by workers in the air sector would virtually bring the Cup to a halt. “As it is an election year, there may be political incentives to call demonstrations (strikes) which could lead to embarrassing situations during the event,” the document warns.
The prospect of new protests, similar to those that filled the streets in June of last year, is also regarded as a big threat. The agents claim that there are real risks of demonstrations — which are usually targeted at the high cost of building the stadiums and the poor quality of public services — spreading across the country, overturning urban mobility plans and encouraging violence near the stadiums. These demonstrations would have the presence of anarchist “black blocs” and members of other radical leftist as well as extreme right-wing movements. “The demonstrators’ readiness to invade stadiums and attack symbols of the Confederations Cup looks set to be repeated. Holding the games should lead to more heated demonstrations,” the report warns. The authorities are also monitoring crime and the possibility of actions by violent fans inside the stadiums. “This is a threat that could have a negative impact on the country’s image as lots of incidents could occur simultaneously,” the report said. In its analysis of the threats of clashes between supporters, particularly hooligans, the report mentions the need for preventive measures such as stopping troublemakers from entering the country.
The government has considered the threats and quietly adopted measures to prevent any of them coming about. For example, the Federal Police plans to start an operation on the eve of the World Cup to detain leaders and demonstrators involved in attacks on public buildings. The aim is to split up and threaten those demonstrators who usually resort to violence, the “black bloc” followers in particular. The list of targets is based on data collected from protests held all over Brazil. The list of “black bloc” supporters identified in Rio alone has over 100 names, including the leaders. The authorities are also working to map the movements of organized fans. An official report claims that at least 300 Argentinean supporters linked to the “barra bravas”, a group of hooligans that switches from misbehavior one moment to sheer violence the next, have confirmed that they will be heading for Brazil. The police know that they will be staying at a club in the southern city of Porto Alegre.
Other contingency measures are underway. To prevent any strike by federal agents leaving the competing teams without protection, a plan B has been set up with the army ready to take care of their security if necessary. This would be carried out by military personnel wearing civilian clothes to soften the impression. The military command has already bought suits and ties for the troops to wear. The terrorist threat singled out by the Abin intelligence agency has also got Brazilian officers moving into action. The Federal Police’s anti-terrorism division is accompanying people suspected of having links with extremist groups and is centering its activities on São Paulo, Rio and Paraná. Police and intelligence agents from a number of countries will operate in partnership with the Brazilians to speed up the identification of threats. Air traffic will be interrupted within an area of almost eight kilometers of the stadiums for a period of an hour before and three hours after the games, with special anti-terrorists forces on the alert and anti-aircraft artillery ready to provide protection for power stations. Police chief Andrei Rodrigues, of the Justice Ministry’s Special Security Secretariat for Large Events said: “The security forces are prepared for the worst possible scenario”.
The threat – The high profile of the event could encourage protests by pressure groups such as the “black blocs” and the Popular Committee for Those Affected by the World Cup. Demonstrators who have complained about the spending involved and the poor quality of Brazil’s public services are also likely to return to the streets.
Assessment – The “black blocs” and other movements which are against the World Cup are already calling for protests three months before the competition gets underway.
The threat – The report lists a number of professional categories that could go on strike during the World Cup and halt or disrupt the transport and security systems. The main threat comes from airline and airport workers as well as local and federal police.
The threat – The presence of thousands of tourists should increase incidents of crime such as assaults, theft and people being kidnapped for a short period and forced to withdraw money from cash dispensing machines. The agents are calling for security to be doubled in areas where tourists will be most concentrated, such as near the stadiums, hotels and airports.
Assessment – Urban violence represents a real risk in all the host cities even with stronger policing.
The threat – The behavior of supporters was a source of concern for all countries that have hosted the World Cup. England, Germany, Croatia, Argentina, Ireland, Denmark, France, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Turkey and Poland are mentioned as countries with violent fans.
Assessment – The authorities are already monitoring the movement of hooligans.
The threat – Police stress that Al Qaeda is still active and the presence of many of its “enemies” in Brazil could trigger an attack. Al Qaeda’s most effective current weapon is to carry out attacks using “lone wolves”.
Assessment – There have been no cases of attacks by organized terrorist groups in Brazil.
The threat – The First Capital Command (PCC) criminal organization, which is run from within the São Paulo prison network, could take advantage of the fact that the police will be fully occupied with the games and instigate rebellions and rescue prisoners.
Assessment – The fact that foreigners are behind the drugs trade which is the organization’s main source of income could discourage attacks.
