Sergio Cabral, Governor of Rio State, said in London Friday where he was meeting with organizers of the 2012 Summer Olympic Games, there should be no fears over security at the 2016 Summer Olympic Games, reports CTV.
Accompanying Cabral in London were Sports Minister Orlando Silva and International Olympic Committee (IOC) member and head of Rio 2016, Carlos Nuzman.
The group was meeting with London 2012 organizers and said they were learning a lot from them.
Cabral said, “there is a special budget of $144 million for security. Back in October 2007 I explained to the IOC members that we had the resources and capacity to ensure security. We want and we do offer our population before, during and after the Games, security. We have begun that process”.
Last October a police helicopter was brought down by a drugs gang, but Cabral said that things had improved since.
He added, “Nawal El Moutawakel, head of the IOC Coordination Commission, came with her group to Rio a few weeks ago for the first time and she visited two favelas where they live today without problems or security”.
He called dealing in drugs “an international problem. Whether it be London, Tokyo, Paris, New York or Lisbon, drugs consumers and dealing exists.
“However, don’t have any illusions that we will stop trafficking in Rio. But we are putting together social projects and investing almost six million pounds into the favelas”.
Meanwhile Nuzman said they were learning much from the way London organizers were proceeding. He said, “my impression since the (London) bid won (in Singapore in 2005) is the professionalism of the organizing committee”.
