Brazil sets up special security scheme for Brics meeting
A special security scheme was adopted by the Brazilian government to ensure the integrity of people attending the 11th Brics summit meeting. The gathering is slated to take place in Brasília on Wednesday and Thursday (Nov. 13, 14) and is expected to draw South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro, China’s Xi Jinping, and Russia’s Vladimir Putin, in addition to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Tasked with assessing risk and prevent crises, among other duties, the head of the Institutional Security Office, Augusto Heleno, said today (12) that the apparatus built in the Brazilian capital is not considerably different from what was prepared ahead of the 2014 World Cup and the President Bolsonaro’s inauguration ceremony.
In addition to heads of state, foreign entourages should include ministers, executives, and officials. Some 200 representatives from other countries are believed to come to the assembly.
Security with discretion
Even though the meeting with leaders, official lunches, and other engagements take place in downtown Brasília—most at the Itamaraty Palac, seat of Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Relations—a “discreet” yet efficient strategy had to be devised, Heleno said.
“I have no major concerns over the success in [security]. We’re planning to have this summit meeting conducted peacefully and smoothly,” the official declared.
His government department has wide knowledge in security, and is supported by some of the visiting countries, he added. “[They’re] bringing security equipment to add to ours. Of course there are always risks, but they’re insignificant compared to the competent teams and in-depth intelligence, which allows us to anticipate any incident,” he stated.
Company Inframerica, which controls the Brasília airport, is expected to adopt extra security procedures at the terminal. During the two days of summit meetings, the airport’s property security agents, police forces, and inspection agencies will be stepped up.
Topics at the summit
Chaired by Brazil, the Brics assembly in Brasília will discuss “Economic Growth for an Innovative Future,” which should include topics related to science, technology, innovation, digital economy, health care, corruption, and terrorism. This is the second time Brasília hosts a Brics conference; the first one was held in 2010.
Together, Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—whose initials make up the letters in the acronym—add up to a population of roughly 3.1 billion people, or 41 percent of the world population, and account for 18 percent of the global trade.
A parallel schedule of events has also been put together. On Wednesday (13), for instance, Brazil’s National Confederation of Industry is holding a business forum in Brasília, which is likely to welcome 800 representatives from the government and the private sector of the five countries to discuss trade, infrastructure, and innovation.
