Rio de Janeiro, June 12 (IANS): Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff has struck a note of warning, saying there will be no tolerance for vandalism in protests during the FIFA World Cup, starting Thursday.
During the inauguration of a subway line in Salvador, one of the 12 World Cup host cities, President Rousseff said that the government would respect people's right to protest, but would not tolerate "those who think they can practice acts of vandalism and prevent people's right to watch and enjoy the World Cup", reports Xinhua.
After taking almost 15 years to be built, the Salvador subway is still incomplete. President Rousseff only inaugurated a short stretch of the line, and the remaining stretch is expected to be ready only next year.
The president criticised previous administrations, ruled by the opposition, saying that the urban mobility is not a mandate of the federal government, but a responsibility of the states and towns. The union government has the moral obligation to make such investments in order to improve the quality of life in Brazilian cities.
Rousseff wished luck to the national team, which will play its first match Thursday afternoon, against Croatia.