The mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Eduardo Paes, defended this Wednesday (30) the closure of Santos Dumont airport during the G20 Leaders’ Summit, which will be in Rio de Janeiro on November 18th and 19th. On the occasion, several heads of state will be in the city. The program will take place at the Museum of Modern Art (MAM), located on the Flamengo embankment, next to Santos Dumont airport. Paes stated that he has already presented his opinion to the President of the Republic, Luís Inácio Lula da Silva.
“I defend that, if it is the understanding of the security forces, that Santos Dumont airport be closed on that date when the heads of state will be here in Rio de Janeiro. We are talking about a period of 48 hours. I know that there are already people who bought the ticket. But no one bought the ticket to get to Santos Dumont, they bought the ticket to get to Rio de Janeiro, and Galeão has all the conditions in the world to receive these flights”, he stated.
The statements took place during the delivery of MAM works by Rio’s city hall. The space had been undergoing several interventions and the renovated facilities were presented this Wednesday (30) to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mauro Vieira, and the First Lady, Janja Lula da Silva.
Paes maintains that recent actions aimed at regaining Galeão’s leading role mean that it is ready to safely receive all passengers during the G20. He also highlighted the improvement of access and connection with public transport.
“It’s a decision that has to be taken as quickly as possible. The city’s understanding is that the use of Santos Dumont airport should be avoided. And not just for security reasons, but also for logistics. Imagine people arriving with flights at Santos Dumont airport during this period. We already have traffic jams on normal days, imagine what it will be like with the Flamengo landfill closed for the arrival of these world leaders.”
The world’s 19 largest economies, as well as the European Union and more recently the African Union, have seats in the G20. The group has established itself as a global forum for dialogue and coordination on economic, social, development and international cooperation issues. In December last year, Brazil succeeded India as president. It is the first time that the country has assumed this position in the current G20 format, established in 2008. At the end of the year, the presidency will be transferred to South Africa.
Security
Paes also defended the decree of the Guarantee of Law and Order (GLO). According to the mayor of Rio, this position has also been communicated to President Lula. Provided for in the Federal Constitution, GLO missions grant the Armed Forces the necessary autonomy to act with police powers, for a determined period of time, in a previously defined area. It is up to the President of the Republic to decree them. Since 1992, more than 140 GLO missions have been carried out in the country, most of them aimed at preserving public security in three specific situations: military police strikes, major events and electoral processes.
“It’s an important decision due to the relevance of the political leaders who will be here. There is nothing unusual about this. Rio, in these big meetings, always had the GLO”, said Paes. This Tuesday (29), the Secretary of Public Security of the state of Rio de Janeiro, Victor dos Santos, even stated that the GLO will be decreed. However, there has still been no confirmation from the federal government.
According to Paes, the city of Rio de Janeiro will experience a period of restrictions during the G20 Leaders’ Summit. He highlighted that, precisely for this reason, declared a municipal holiday for the 18th and 19th of November.
“Cariocas are used to being an international city that has hosted, in the last decade, the World Cup final, World Youth Day, the Olympic Games and other events. It is obvious that during the period in which the heads of state will be here, there will be a series of restrictions on the movement and movement of people in the tourist area of the city, looking at the coast from Barra da Tijuca, passing through the entire south zone and heading towards the center and Praça Mauá, where the G20 Social will take place “.
