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Brazilian army troops begin patrolling the streets of Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, January 22, 2017. (Photo by AFP) Brazil's Defense Ministry has dispatched troops into the streets of Rio de Janeiro to maintain security as the country's second largest city prepares for a mass carnival amid anti-austerity protests and low morale among police. "From this moment, the defense ministry is mobilizing troops," said the ministry in a statement issued late Monday as troops began deploying in the city. On Tuesday, President Michel Temer issued a decree, saying that the army deployment in Rio de Janeiro's metropolitan area would be allowed until February 22, one week before the city ends its carnival season, a period during which street parties take place every day. Rio de Janeiro's Governor Luiz Fernando Pezao had requested authorization for the army’s policing of the entire Rio state until March 5. Defense Minister Raul Jungmann was to give more details ab