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Kerry, meeting with Brazilian Foreign Minister José Serra in
Rio before the opening of the Games later on Friday, told
reporters he was sure Brazil will deliver "not just a great
venue but a great Olympics."
The Rio Olympics, the first to be held in South America, are
being held at a time of heightened concerns of terrorism
following attacks in European cities inspired by Islamist
extremism.
Brazil has deployed troops to patrol Rio's emblematic tourist
sites to guard against the slightest chance of an attack,
officials said, though security at the Olympic stadium appeared
slack on Tuesday.
Security concerns jumped last month after Brazilian police,
acting on a tip from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation,
detained 12 people on suspicion of links to the Islamic State
militant group.
Some two dozen heads of state and government and 50,000
spectators are expected to attend the torch ceremony at Rio's
Maracana stadium on Friday night, with some 3 billion people
tuning in around the world.
(Reporting by Paulo Prada and Anthony Boadle; Editing by
Jonathan Oatis and Leslie Adler)
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