Federal troops to safeguard Rio elections

Rio de Janeiro's Electoral Court decided Friday to receive 500 soldiers from the Army and Marines to safeguard the upcoming municipal elections. The soldiers will start guarding the targeted areas on Monday, with the first round of the elections due on Oct. 7. A second round, if necessary, will be held on Oct. 28. Several candidates to the Municipal Assembly have reported threats to them while trying to campaign in slums and neighborhoods dominated by militia groups, whose leaders usually have a candidate of their preference and coerce the population into voting for that candidate. Militias in Rio usually consist of active or retired policemen and firefighters, who took over slums from drug gangs. They also exploit a number of services, such as gas supply, illegal cable TV and broadband Internet. Locations which will receive security reinforcement are "sensitive" and have yet to receive Pacifying Police Units, which were set up in some of the most dangerous slums, said Electoral Court President Luiz Zveiter. "These locations are controlled by drug traffickers and militias, and are requiring a closer eye from the court," Zveiter said. The National Electoral Court also approved the shipping of federal troops to seven other cities in Rio de Janeiro state. Troops will only be in those locations on the election day.