With the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympics just a little less than four months away, the city is facing several pressing issues such as crime, civil unrest and counter-terrorism. Also, questions continue to swirl around Rio’s health-service readiness, due to the Zika virus. However, in the latest special report focused on the city’s readiness, business information provider IHS Inc. believes Rio remains well-prepared for the big event.

Crime rates are down in Rio over the last year and murder rates in 2015 were at their lowest level in 24 years, yet even with declining crime in the area, of the five Olympic sites, downtown Rio poses the biggest threat. These crimes of opportunity usually entail an assailant taking wallets, jewellery, mobile phones and purses, sometimes with the threat or use of violence, with women and seniors as the most common targets.

“The pacification of the favelas (slums) has improved security and reduced no-go zones within the city,” said Carlos Caicedo, senior principal analyst for Latin America at IHS Country Risk and one of the report’s authors. “This pacification programme with the Pacifying Police Unit (UPP), particularly those close to hotel areas, has contributed to improvements in safety and reduction of Rio's murder rate to its current relative low mark.”

According to IHS, protests in Brazil are not considered criminal behaviour. Still the government has temporarily introduced exceptional measures for the duration of the games in lieu of frequent and spontaneous protests between pro- and anti-government supporters of embattled president, Dilma Rousseff. While the impeachment process is under way, if Rousseff remains in power in August, violence is likely to escalate. “In that event, tensions are likely to be taken to the streets, as demonstrators attempt to garner international attention,” said Carla Selman, Latin American analyst at IHS Country Risk. “Protest hotspots are close to some of the Olympic sites, particularly Copacabana and Rio’s city centre.”

The deployment of 85,000 military and security personnel will help to deter incidents and this saturation of security forces' presence, together with coordinated intelligence, as with the 2014 World Cup, will help to reduce crime and physical threats to foreign visitors.

With no presence of domestic terrorist groups, the risk of a large-scale terrorist attack remains low, IHS says. Though there is a precedent of terrorist attacks at sporting events, there are no foreign terrorist groups maintaining a domestic presence in Brazil, keeping the threat level low.