Folha de Sao Paulo reported on Sunday that the Dilma administration will invest $6 billion to control the trafficking of drugs and arms along Brazil’s borders with a reinforced police presence and upgraded weapons technology. The Sisfron system (Integrated Monitoring Borders) is part of Brazil’s efforts to boost security in preparation of the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympic games and is to be completed by 2019.
The majority of drugs in Brazil enter through its neighboring countries, with the largest quantities coming from Bolivia. According to El Pais, narcotrafficking and arms sales are responsible for 90 percent of the violence in Brazil. The Dilma administration has identified Brazil’s porous border as “the number one problem of the country’s security.”
Last month Brazil’s Embraer—the world’s third-largest aircraft maker—and eight other private companies sent representatives to Brasilia to explore opportunities to invest in Sisfron. International defense companies have until January 31 to send proposals that will be reviewed by the Communications Center, the Army Electronic Warfare (Ccomgex) and Atech, a company specializing in software development.
