19 April – Security fears surrounding next year’s World Cup have increased after two fans were shot dead near one of the new stadia being used for the tournament.
The Arena Castelao in Fortaleza was the scene of the latest incident prompting more questions about Brazil’s notorious crime rate ahead of this summer’s Confederations Cup as well as the World Cup itself.
The two Ceara fans were reportedly shot in the head by Fortaleza supporters three miles from the ground in the north-east of the country.
Fortaleza is one of the six venues hosting matches in the Confederations Cup in June and one of the 12 at the World Cup.
”We lament what happened,” said Tiago Paes, a local World Cup organizing committee member who was at the test event in Fortaleza. ”But there is work being done by the police and the army in many areas of security, so we are not concerned with that for the Confederations Cup.”