Hundredth edition of the N&O column / Spooks newsletter

(Date: Sun, 06 Nov 2005 19:22:07 +0100)

Intelligence profile: Brazil

Background

Following three centuries under the rule of Portugal, Brazil became an independent nation in 1822. By far the largest and most populous country in South America, Brazil overcame more than half a century of military intervention in the governance of the country when in 1985 the military regime peacefully ceded power to civilian rulers. Brazil continues to pursue industrial and agricultural growth and development of its interior. Exploiting vast natural resources and a large labor pool, it is today South America's leading economic power and a regional leader.

General

Country name	:	Republica Federativa do Brasil (Brasil)
		Federal Republic of Brazil (Brazil)
Capital	:	Brasilia
Administrative divisions	:
		1 federal district; Distrito Federal
		and 26 states (estados, singular - estado) Acre, Alagoas, Amapa, Amazonas, Bahia, Ceara, Espirito Santo, Goias, Maranhao, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, Para, Paraiba, Parana, Pernambuco, Piaui, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Norte, Rio Grande do Sul, Rondonia, Roraima, Santa Catarina, Sao Paulo, Sergipe, Tocantins

Military / Security / Intelligence

Military branches:
- Brazilian Army
- Brazilian Navy (includes Naval Air and Marines)
- Brazilian Air Force Subsecretaria de Inteligência – SSI
- State Military Police
Police:
- Federal Police (PF)
- Federal Railway Police
- Brazil Federal Highway Police
- Sao Paulo State Civil Police
- Sao Paulo State Military Police
- State Civil Police
Intelligence:
- Serviço Federal de Informações - SFICI
- Escola Nacional de Informações - ESNI
- Serviço Nacional de Informações – SNI
- Centro de Informações do Exército - CIE
- Centro de Informações da Aeronáutica - CIA
- Centro de Informações de Marinha - Cenimar
- Secretaria de Inteligência
- Departamento de Inteligência
- Secretaria de Assuntos Estratégicos - SAE
- Sistema Brasileiro de Inteligência - SISBIN
- Agência Brasileira de Inteligência - ABIN
- Sistema de Inteligencia do Mercosur- Sisme
- Gabinete de Segurança Institucional - GSI
- Secretaria Nacional de Segurança Publica - SENASP
- Conselho Especial do subsistema de Inteligencia de Segurança Publica
- CESISP
- Conselho de Segurança Nacional - CSN

The first Brazilian intelligence agency was formed by decree 9775-A, of 6 Sept. 1946. This Serviço Federal de Informações - SFICI (Federal Information Service) was formed to co-ordinate information gathering activities concerning the national security.

After the military intervention a new law (4341) was issued on 13-6-1964 after which the SFICI ceased to exist and was replaced by the Serviço Nacional de Informações – SNI. The National Intelligence Service was dominated by the military and existed from 1964 to 1990. In 1973 it secured its dominance over the intelligence community with the opening of the Escola Nacional de Informações (National Intelligence School). In theory, the SNI supervised and coordinated the Centro de Informações do Exército - CIE (Army Intelligence Center), the Centro de Informações da Aeronáutica - CIA (Air Force Intelligence Center) and the (Centro de Informações de Marinha - Cenimar (Naval Intelligence Center). In practice however, the military maintained their autonomy.

After changing from a military to a civil government a new ministry was introduced: Departamento de Inteligência (Department of Intelligence).

The Secretaria de Assuntos Estratégicos - SAE (Strategic Affairs Secretariat) existed from 1990 to 1994 and had oversight responsibilities of Brazil's nuclear, space, missile, armaments, and intelligence programs. The SAE did not effectively oversee Brazil's intelligence apparatus which was the main reason why it was replaced by the current intelligence agency, the ABIN.

In 1995, the Subsecretaria de Inteligência – SSI (Under-Secretariat of Intelligence) was formed. This was the beginning of a number of changes that eventually resulted in a new intelligence system in Brazil on 7 December 1999. On that date the Sistema Brasileiro de Inteligência - SISBIN was created (Brazilian Intelligence System) and a new agency was born: Agência Brasileira de Inteligência - ABIN (Brazilian Intelligence Agency).

ABIN was established as a central agency put in charge of planning, executing, co-ordinating, supervising and controlling the country's intelligence and counter-intelligence activities. It has offices in all of the 26 states.

The Gabinete de Segurança Institucional - GSI (Institutional Security Office) saw the light in 1998. This office oversees the ABIN and SNA (Secretaria Nacional Antidroga, the National Anti-Drugs Secretariat).

Secretaria Nacional de Segurança Publica - SENASP (National Secretariat of Public Security) is responsible for monitoring internal security issues. Its head reports to the Minister of Justice. Within SENASP a new department was established in December 2000: CESISP - Conselho Especial do subsistema de Inteligencia de Segurança Publica (Special Council for the Intelligence and Public Security). This department coordinates the intelligence and internal security information from the public security secretariats in the various Brazilian states.

Conselho de Segurança Nacional - CSN (National Security Council) is a presidential security advisory body.

Sistema de Inteligencia do Mercosur - Sisme (Mercosur Intelligence Service) is an intelligence sharing arrangement between national police forces and justice ministers of Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay. The security services of these countries (with the exception of Bolivia) already had a anti-militant accord in the period 1975-1990, known as Operation Condor. The status of Sisme is not clear. Some sources say that it is operational, others state that it doesn't exist anymore.

Sources

http://www.abin.gov.br/abin/index.jsp
FAS
CIA World Factbook
Various newspapers and public sources