Special force created to safeguard World Cup

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Brazil has created a special 10,000-strong force of military police to ensure that no anti-government protests disrupt this summer's 2014 FIFA World Cup football games, news website G1 reported Friday.

The special force is expected to reinforce the work of local and federal police in the 12 cities that will be hosting games in June and July.

The special force, composed of members of the National Public Security Force, has been receiving special training since 2011, G1 reported, citing the unit's director, Col. Alexandre Augusto Aragon.

Aragon said the force received on-the-job training during the mass demonstrations that plagued the Confederations Cup games held in Brazil in June 2013.

"The National Force is not an ordinary force. We are called during times of crisis, only for specific missions," said Aragon, adding "For the World Cup, we have trained 10,000 men in clash instruction and we are prepared to take action in all of the 12 host cities at the same time."

"Since the 1930 World Cup, host countries have faced a record (number) of demonstrations," Aragon said, citing South Africa in 2010, Germany in 2006 and South Korea and Japan in 2002.

He added that the degree "of violence of the recent protests (in June 2013) caused fear. We had many injured police in Rio de Janeiro."

Those protests, the largest seen in years, were sparked by massive government spending on preparations to host large-scale sporting events, such as the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games Brazil hosts, while Brazilians have poor public services, such as healthcare, education and transportation.

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