Body parts washed up on the shore Wednesday of a beach where Olympic athletes will play volleyball during the summer Rio games, adding to a growing list of concerns about Brazil’s ability to pull off a successful games.
It was unclear where the body on Copacabana Beach came from and Rio de Janeiro police have yet to release more details, according to Reuters. Law enforcement officials in the city, which is poised to host South America’s first Olympic Games, have reported severely strained resources in the lead up to the event, which has also been threatened by the spread of Zika virus.
Earlier this week, Rio police protested for late payment of wages and insufficient equipment provided by the state. The police said they have been forced to operate in dangerous work conditions, and lack access to basic goods.
One police officer told AFP that citizens brought his unit toilet paper because the force had no money to buy it.
"At the stations we don't have paper or ink for the printers, there's no one to come in to clean and some stations don't have a water supply anymore so the toilets are not functioning," the officer said.
Rio first responders have warned the public of the dire conditions, holding a sign at the international airport Tuesday welcoming visitors to “hell” and telling them they “will not be safe.”