MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

TSE greenlights additional troop deployments ahead of Brazil's runoffs

Federal troops can be deployed when local police forces are unable to keep a municipality secure

Brazil's Superior Electoral Court (TSE) Friday authorized the deployment of federal troops to 165 more cities for next Sunday's presidential runoff pitting the incumbent Jair Bolsonaro against the former head of state Luiz Inácio Lula Da Silva. The TSE had already authorized troops to be sent to another 80 cities.

As per a TSE plenary decision, the deployment of federal troops has been authorized for security purposes in 165 locations nationwide: 86 in Maranhão, 52 in Amazonas, and 27 in Alagoas.

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The decision was to be conveyed to the Ministry of Defense for logistics matters.

Federal troops can be deployed when a municipality informs the electoral courts that it is unable to guarantee the normality of the election with local police forces.

In the Oct. 2 first round, 561 locations in 11 states had requested military presence during the election.

Earlier this week, the TSE confirmed troops would be deployed in 80 municipalities in four states: Acre (20 municipalities), Mato Grosso (39 municipalities), Mato Grosso do Sul (11 municipalities), and Tocantins (10 municipalities).

(Source: Agencia Brasil)