Brazil’s Senate approved a constitutional amendment to coordinate security nationwide, but its effect on street safety will depend on what governments do next.
What the amendment changes
PEC 18/2025 passed the Senate on November 3 with 73 votes to none in the first round and 75 to none in the second; the figures count senators present, not the entire chamber. It now goes to Congress for promulgation. The amendment puts Brazil’s Unified Public Security System, or Susp, into the Constitution and strengthens the federal government’s coordinating role. It also clears the way for Lula’s promised Public Security Ministry, though its staff, budget and leadership are unsettled.
The measure provides for joint operations and information-sharing among federal, state and municipal agencies. It expands the Federal Police’s role in organized crime with interstate or international reach and allows the Federal Highway Police to work on federal rail and water routes. Some gang and militia leaders could face maximum-security placement and limits on sentence progression and other benefits. Authorities could seize assets tied to criminal activity. These are legal tools, not proof they will work.
Why coordination is a challenge
State governments manage much of policing and the prison system, while gangs can operate across state lines and inside prisons. During the Senate review, the proposal’s rapporteur said factions had grown partly because state-by-state policies lacked effective ways to cooperate. Lula proposed a national coordinating body in his 2002 presidential campaign, but it did not take shape. The new approach also provides for federal money to reach states and municipalities.
Governors, including São Paulo’s Tarcísio de Freitas and Goiás’s Ronaldo Caiado, warned that the original proposal could weaken state autonomy. After disputes with governors and opposition lawmakers stalled the bill in the lower house, negotiations produced a compromise. Brasília would set national direction and coordinate action, while states and municipalities keep important operational roles.
The vote did not settle every debate
The unanimous vote does not show agreement on every security policy. Crime was a major issue in Lula’s reelection campaign, and support for tougher measures carried political weight across party lines. A dispute over lowering the age of criminal responsibility from 18 to 16, or in some cases 14, had delayed the vote. Senators separated those proposals from the amendment, leaving the current age unchanged in its text. The debate is expected to continue separately.
Implementation is the next test
After formal promulgation, Lula must decide how and when to establish the ministry. The timing, minister, and transfer of staff and money from the Justice Ministry remain unsettled. The harder test will be making data systems, funding and joint operations work across governments that retain their own responsibilities.
For residents affected by gangs and militias, success will depend on whether coordinated investigations and pressure on criminal finances reduce the groups’ ability to operate and control territory.