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<h1 class="article-title">Olympics 2016: Brazilian Government Denies
Association with Israeli Security Company</h1>
<div class="article-subtitledetails">
<span class="article-details">
<span class="article-detail"><img class="icon"
src="cid:part1.01020209.09000703@freedomarchives.org"
alt="author"> Tuesday May 12, 2015 17:51</span><span
class="article-detail"><img class="icon"
src="cid:part2.02080706.03070805@freedomarchives.org"
alt="author"> by BDS National Commitee</span></span> <br>
<b><small><small><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.imemc.org/article/71555">http://www.imemc.org/article/71555</a></small></small></b><br>
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<blockquote class="article-intro">More than 30 Brazilian social
movements and progressive organisations have called on the
Brazilian government to exclude International Security and Defence
Systems (ISDS) from Olympics contracts, after the Israeli company
announced, in October of 2014, that it had been awarded a $2.2bn
deal to coordinate security at the games.</blockquote>
The <a href="http://www.bdsmovement.net/" target="_blank">BDS
National Comittee</a> recently reported that, on April 8, the
Ministry of Justice’s Special Secretariat for Mega-events (Sesge/MJ)
replied to their letter by explaining that ISDS has not been awarded
any contracts.<br>
<br>
The reply from Sesge/MJ also stated that “any contract made by Rio
2016 won’t result in compromises by the Brazilian government”, a
phrase campaigners are now interpreting as a clear sign that
government officials were sympathetic to their demands.<br>
<br>
ISDS had originally announced it had been awarded a contract by the
Organising Committee for the 2016 Olympic Games. When overall
responsibility for security at the games shifted to the Brazilian
government, Brazilian social movements began calling on the
Brazilian government to ensure that the apparent deal would not
remain in place.<br>
<br>
The letter to key Sesge/MJ official Andrei Rodrigues signed by
Brazilian social movements, political parties, workers unions, and
different associations set out how ISDS is accused of having ties to
coups, death squares and dictatorships in Central America, as well
as close links with the Israeli military.<br>
<br>
Campaigners are now preparing to pressure the Olympics Committee to
cancel a separate “official supplier” deal with ISDS.<br>
<br>
Furthermore, Jaman Juma, coordinador of the Stop the Wall movement,
said:<br>
<br>
“For us, boycotting this company is paradigmatic: Israel develops
its methodologies and technologies through the killing and
repression of the Palestinian people, and then it sells them
worldwide. The end of military and security relations with Israel is
an act of defense. Not only for the Palestinian people, it is an act
of defense for humanity.”<br>
<br>
Julio Turra, executive director of the biggest Brazilian workers’
union, CUT, one of the signatories of the letter to Coesrio2016,
said:<br>
<br>
“We are glad with the information the government distances itself
from ISDS. It would be illegal and shameful to hire a company that
develops its technologies in complicity with Israeli crimes and that
accumulates complaints about its participation in Central American
dictatorships.”<br>
<br>
Mahmoud Nawajaa, General Coordinador of the BDS Palestinian National
Committee (BNC), said:<br>
<br>
“We welcome the fact that the Brazilian government categorically
states it has no commercial relation with ISDS. We expect that no
similar company will be hired. It is important that Brazil walks
towards a fully military embargo against Israel.”<br>
<br>
“Brazilians can be sure they will have the support from the
Palestinian and international civil society on this campaign against
ISDS in the Olympic Games.”<br>
<br>
As for future actions, Soraya Misleh, from the Front in Defense of
the Palestinian People explained:<br>
<br>
“There will be a wide campaign against the contract celebrated with
the 2016 Organizing Committee which makes ISDS an ‘official
supplier’ for the Games. We won’t allowed the Olympic Games in our
country to have such company’s logo in its publicity. It is an
insult against all those who believe in human rights and justice.”<br>
<br>
Maristela Pinheiro, from the Rio de Janeiro Committee in Solidarity
with the Palestinian People added:<br>
<br>
“There will be for sure a strong campaign against the supplier deal
between ISDS and the 2016 Organizing Committee and we’ll keep
monitoring Coesrio. The Olympics can’t beneficiate companies that
profit through human rights violations. The Games can’t be
intensifying repressive practices in our country, or endorse illegal
and immoral actions.”<br>
<br>
Felipe Butelli, from the Christian Group Kairos Brazil added:<br>
<br>
“The call for military embargo has the support of important
international names, the Nobel Peace Prize winners Desmond Tutu and
Perez Esquivel among them. Brazil can’t follow on the opposite
direction.”
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