Dilma Doubles Down: Armed Forces Will Be In Charge of Security for the Copa and Olympics, Instead of Federal Police

According to a story published in the newspaper "Estado" today, Dilma has had it with the striking Federal Police and the disruptions that they have caused at airports and border crossings.  

From the article: "A presidente Dilma Rousseff decidiu privilegiar o papel das Forças Armadas no comando da segurança dos grandes eventos que vão ocorrer no Brasil a partir do ano que vem - Copa das Confederações em 2013, Copa do Mundo de Futebol em 2014 ea Olimpíada do Rio em 2016. A intervenção da presidente na estrutura criada para os eventos ocorreu depois que Dilma formou convicção de que na greve em curso os policiais federais agiram para atemorizar a sociedade em aeroportos, postos de fronteira e portos."  

My (very rough) translation: "President Dilma Rousseff has decided to favor the role of the Armed Forces in taking charge of security for major events that will take place in Brazil starting next year: the Confederations Cup in 2013, the World Cup in 2014, and the Olympics in Rio in 2016. The president's intervention in the security system established for these events occurred after Dilma reached the conclusion that the ongoing strike by the federal police caused intimidation of the public at airports, border crossings and ports."

This is an important decision for several reasons. First of all, Dilma is a leader of the Workers' Party, which has traditionally supported labor unions and the right to strike. Dilma has apparently decided that her political affiliation is less important than guaranteeing the safety of Brazilian citizens, as well as the thousands of visitors who will be flooding into the country to attend these events. Any problems with security during these high profile events would result in negative publicity for Brazil, and could seriously undermine its global image.  

Second, it is fascinating to see Dilma calling upon the armed forces to ensure the security of civilians, instead of relying on the Federal Police, especially given her own troubled past with the military. Not only was she arrested, imprisoned, and tortured during the military dictatorship, but she has also received criticism from retired military officers due to her role in establishing Brazil's "Truth Commission." The Commission, which was inaugurated in May, 2012, will spend the next two years investigating the military regime that ruled Brazil from 1964 to 1985. 

However, due to a 1979 amnesty, no criminal charges can be brought against military offenders.  For this reason, the Commission has also been criticized by victims of the dictatorship and their relatives and supporters, who do not feel that it is enough to simply investigate crimes and abuses.

This latest decision by Dilma might be seen as another move against striking federal workers. It will be interesting to see what impact, if any, it will have on Dilma's popularity. 

Perhaps of even greater importance, it shows that she is able to keep her own past experiences with the military from influencing her decisions as President.