Versión Español
EspañolOn Saturday, June 14, the Minister of the Secretariat for Human Rights in Brazil, Ideli Salvatti, condemned police officers’ use of excessive violence against protesters that denounced World Cup expenditures in the streets. Salvatti believes that the police crackdown in San Paulo during the inauguration ceremony on Thursday was “unnecessary,” “inadequate,” and reveals a lack of good judgment.
“We are going to adopt all necessary measures to prevent this from happening again,” said Salvatti. She also asked governmental institutions to better prepare themselves in order to avoid the excessive and disproportionate violence when dealing with popular protests. “The citizens have the right to express their disagreement with the World Cup; however, vandalism will not be tolerated,” emphasized the minister.
Over the weekend, local and international media shared scenes of violence against the protesters in Brazil. In one of the images, a young man was held by three officers, while another was pepper-sprayed directly in his eyes. Amnesty International and San Paulo’s Public Defender’s Office have also condemned these abuses.
According to critics, US$11 billion in public funds have been funneled to the international sporting event, and several organizations believe the money should have been directed toward the improvement of public services for Brazilians.
Source: HispanTV.
