Terrorism is a huge concern for everyone involved when it comes to this year's Olympics. However, what little news we've heard about terror threats has been mostly positive. I'm referring to that one story that made headlines on every major news site about how officials in Brazil thwarted a team of ISIS loyalists who were planning to kill a lot of people. Sure, we heard in the days following that the individuals in question were completely disorganized amateurs who probably wouldn't have been able to achieve their goals even if they weren't caught, but still, a win is a win.
What you've probably heard way less about is that, just three weeks prior to the start of the Olympics, customs workers in Brazil went on an indefinite strike. Yes, those customs workers. The ones responsible for making sure no nefarious people or things cross the border into Brazil. Seems like that should be making a few more headlines, yeah?
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You can always talk about Toilet Water Bay tomorrow.
The reason for the strike, of course, is money. That's a resource that isn't in long supply in Brazil right now, especially with them having to shoulder the financial burden of hosting the Olympics. That wasn't always the case, though, so at some point in the not-too-distant past, customs workers were promised a raise that would take effect this August. A lot has transpired since then, most notably the impeachment (or ousting by way of a coup, depending on whom you ask) of President Dilma Rousseff. The new administration is reviewing pretty much everything she ever did, and apparently that includes wage agreements signed with customs workers.
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