The Brazilian armed forces will not contain the people's right to protest during the FIFA World Cup, Defense Minister Celso Amorim said Wednesday.

The primary concern of the armed forces during the World Cup will be security rather than protests, Amorim said at a congressional hearing.

The military will be mainly monitoring the airspace, defending against the use of explosives or chemical weapons and covering cyber defense, he said, adding that contingency forces would be available to ensure order if needed.

Should the military be needed to deal with protests, it will be by the request of state governors and subject to presidential approval, the minister noted.

He added that guidelines, recently published for military personnel, warn against questionable actions, such as calling protesters "enemy forces."

"Protests must be preserved and restrictions are not foreseen in the manual," the minister said.

Commenting on the armed forces' recent occupation of the Complexo da Mare slum complex in Rio de Janeiro, which has a reputation for serious drug-related violence, the minister said the military was not volunteering to take on this kind of work.

"The Armed forces are not the ones asking for this. They are not seeking these missions. They receive requests from governors, approved by the president," he said.