Brazil weighs new crime-fighting fund as Senate prepares vote

Brazil's Senate will vote next week on the Antifaction bill, a proposal aimed at expanding the country's tools for combating organized crime.

Senate President Davi Alcolumbre confirmed the timeline after the matter gained renewed urgency in discussions between senator Alessandro Vieira and members of the economic team.

Vieira, responsible for shaping the Senate version of the bill, is pushing for the creation of a dedicated fund for public security investment.

The fund would be financed by a contribution applied to operators, though the format and rate of this contribution have not yet been defined.

According to Vieira, the proposal was well received in meetings with Minister of Finance Fernando Haddad and Minister of Planning Simone Tebet.

"They understand that financing the fight against organized crime based on bets is a good idea and we are shaping that," he stated.

The Senator has also floated the possibility of creating a new Contribution for Intervention in the Economic Domain (Cides) specifically for the sector.

Cides are targeted contributions traditionally imposed on industries where the federal government sees a need for corrective intervention.

Vieira argues that a Cide structured exclusively for crime-fighting purposes would allow a shared management model between States and the Union, with set uses for the funds.

The House of Representatives approved earlier versions of the bill after several revisions, though the Government ultimately recommended a vote against the measure.

One of the main points of friction is the redistribution of assets seized in criminal operations, which could affect the Federal Police's budget.

If approved by the Constitution and Justice Committee, the bill could proceed to the Senate floor as soon as the following day.