Brazil is allotting $856 million and deploying 157,000 members of the military and police for this year's World Cup.
In a news conference on Friday as reported by The Associated Press, Brazilian defense minister Celso Amorim said the country is 'perfectly prepared' to protect hundreds of thousands of citizens and visitors who'll flock the twelve cities that will host the biggest soccer tournament in the world starting June 12.
During the same conference, Justice minister Jose Eduardo Cardozo expressed belief there won't be a lot of protests that marked last year's Confederations Cup.
The Brazilian government said that the money will be used for the purchase of equipment like patrol cars, aircraft, and specialized training like terrorism prevention, handling of explosives, and expansion of intelligence services.
More than 600,000 foreign tourists are expected to visit Brazil in time for the World Cup.
The news comes in the wake of reports that crime in the country has surged with the World Cup just around the corner. The AP reports that muggings on bus fleets, the main mode of public transportation in Rio de Janeiro, doubled compared to last year. There were more than 420 incidents reported in January this year, compared to the 195 reported during the same period last year.
The US, British, and German governments have also issued travel warnings to their respective citizens who are going to Brazil due to the increasing number of robberies in the country.
Rio de Janeiro has since announced that it will increase the number of its police officers on duty during the World Cup by 20 percent.
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