Brazil's Chamber of Deputies approved a bill on Tuesday night (18) to combat narcotraffic factions, but the text was tainted by political disputes. President Lula's government suffered a defeat as its original proposal was replaced by opposition lawmaker Guilherme Derrite's version. The Senate now has the opportunity to refine the bill, removing flaws and preserving progress.
The bill, approved 370 to 110, endorses the substitute by Guilherme Derrite (PP), licensed Secretary of Public Security in São Paulo under Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicanos). President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's (PT) original proposal was rushed to Congress after a police operation against Comando Vermelho in Rio de Janeiro, which killed 121 and garnered majority public support per polls.
While the initial version already featured populist penal measures, such as harsher punishments for violent criminal organization members, Derrite's text deepens this by establishing a new framework called Marco Legal de Enfrentamento ao Crime Organizado, without repealing prior laws. This risks creating exploitable legal contradictions, experts warn.
More extreme ideas, like equating organized crime to terrorism, were dropped, avoiding international embarrassments. Positive elements include enhanced police infiltration, financial strangling of factions, and collaboration among bodies like the Central Bank and Federal Revenue.
Amid upcoming elections, clashes between the government and opposition, backed by right-wing and centrão, tainted the debate. Readers decry the politicization of public security issues as a societal loss. The Senate, with a calmer discussion, can fix flaws and prioritize solid improvements, overcoming fights over the law's paternity.