It is regrettable that political conflicts did not allow approval this year of the bill which gives more resources to the state to fight against criminal factions. Agreements between the government and the opposition tend to become more difficult as elections approach.
This is especially true when it comes to a subject, public security, which has become one of the biggest concerns of the electorate: according to a survey carried out this month by Datafolha, it is the main problem in the country for 16% of Brazilians with the right to vote, a percentage which is exceeded only by health (20%).
The right generally has the advantage in this debate, often thanks to populist rhetoric and heavy-handed practices. The anti-faction project was a belated attempt by the government of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) to respond to the shocking advance of organized crime, operating in territories, economies and, it seems, sectors of public power itself.
It is not surprising that, in this context, the diploma became an object of dispute between members of the government and those of the opposition in the Chamber of Deputies, where the latter had an advantage. The Senate managed to produce a consensual text, approved by 64 votes for and none against. But, with the return to the House, the impasse was imposed again.
Congress and the government should not let this opportunity pass. The most recent version of the draft, although it may require adjustments, combines criminal repression, strangulation of assets, modernization of investigations and interinstitutional cooperation with a reasonable balance.
The crimes of criminal factions, private militias and the territorial domain are classified as types of criminal organization, recognizing an uncomfortable reality: there are regions in which the state has lost its authority.
Another step forward is the strengthening of the Integrated Forces to Combat Organized Crime, with the expansion of their composition to include the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the Central Bank, the Federal Revenue Service and the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Thus, public security ceases to be an exclusively police matter and begins to be treated as a policy aimed at protecting the economy, the financial system and daily life. In addition, the creation of national and state databases will enable coordinated action against criminal networks and their financiers.
Added to this is the regulation of the use of spyware, through court orders and auditing mechanisms, in response to the technological sophistication of criminal organizations. A 15% tax on online betting is also created to finance security policies.
There will certainly be provisions to be examined in more detail in the text, but nothing should prevent us from approving in due time what is most essential. The recent scandals in Rio de Janeiro give an idea of the price to pay for complacency towards organized crime.
editorials@grupofolha.com.br
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