RIO DE JANEIRO, Feb. 22 (Xinhua) -- The Brazilian Government's decision to put the public security of the state of Rio de Janeiro under federal intervention is not an electoral move, a government official said Wednesday.
Presidency spokesperson Alexandre Parola made the statement when meeting the press in capital city Brasilia.
"The election agenda is not and will not be the cause for the president's actions," Parola said.
The Senate gave its final approval late on Tuesday to making the army responsible for security in crime-plagued Rio through the end of 2018, following the measure's approval by President Michel Temer and the Chamber of Deputies.
Though the federal intervention has ample support, it has met with some criticism too. Former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said it was a pyrotechnic show to garner votes for Temer in the presidential elections.
Temer's opponents also questioned the assigned duty of the federal troops and the timing of the measure.
The federal intervention prevents Brazil from approving a key pension reform because constitutional amendments cannot be legally completed during a federal intervention.
