President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is launching, this Tuesday (May 12), the “Brazil Against Organized Crime” program and announcing measures focused on public safety. The package provides for an investment of BRL 11 billion, with BRL 1 billion coming from the federal budget and BRL 10 billion through loans from the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES) to the states.

“Brazil Against Organized Crime was developed in consultation with the country’s states, experts, and public security forces, and aims to dismantle the economic, operational, and social foundations of criminal organizations across the country,” says a statement from the Brazilian government.

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The program will be structured around four strategic pillars:

• financially strangling criminal organizations;
• strengthening security in the prison system;
• improving the investigation and resolution of homicides;
• combating arms trafficking.

At a press conference last week, Lula emphasized the need to “destroy the financial power of organized crime and criminal gangs.” Following his meeting with US President Donald Trump on May 7, Lula stated that Brazil is willing to collaborate with other countries in this regard.

“We are going to tackle this on several fronts [with the Brazil Against Organized Crime program], one of which is the financial aspect. We need to destroy the financial power of organized crime and criminal factions. In some cases, they have become multinational corporations. They are present in various countries, in soccer, in politics, in the business world - they are everywhere, even in the judiciary,” said Lula.

The program is expected to be formalized through a presidential decree, with Brazilian states required to join in order to access BNDES funds.