After taking a leading role in actions to protect authorities, the company decided to charge bodies linked to the government and the (Federal Supreme Court) to reimburse the corporation’s expenses.
At the beginning of September, the general director of the PF, Andrei Rodrigues, asked the minister (Justice and Security) to look for public bodies to recover R$2 million paid in daily allowances and tickets in the first half of 2025 to mobilize agents, according to a letter obtained by Sheet.
In the same document, Andrei says that the PF received “great obligations and responsibilities” for national public security, but that the resources available to the body have not kept up with the expansion of its operations.
Since the beginning of Lula’s third term, in 2023, the PF has performed tasks that were previously the responsibility of the Institutional Security Office to protect authorities. The change reflects the alignment with Bolsonaro of the military members who make up the .
To cool down the dispute and avoid legal questions, the government created the PF DPP (Personal Protection Directorate) in October of the same year and formalized an e of authorities, coordinated by the GSI.
The PF began recruiting agents from the National Public Security Force, as well as members from other sectors, to meet the demand for protection of authorities. The government is still considering opening police stations and security centers linked to the DPP in all states.
The dispute involving security at the top of the government is part of the list of frictions that the PF has accumulated with other institutions, such as the Army, Federal Highway Police, and the Public Ministry. Investigations of members of other bodies, attempts to expand powers and disputes for space close to the President of the Republic
In the document in which he demanded compensation from Lewandowski, the director general of the PF states that this would be an “alternative” to continue responding to requests for security from authorities, “in order to overcome the spending contingency and gather the necessary efforts to carry out these actions so dear to the country’s democracy”.
Asked about the request made to the government, the Federal Police told the reporter that it normally carries out security activities for authorities.
“Information such as budget, number of human resources, types of weapons, equipment used, strategies and action protocols are kept confidential, as their disclosure could compromise the safety of protected people and harm the performance of actions”, the agency also says.
The general director of the PF asked for reimbursement of the amounts paid to protect ministers Ricardo Lewandowski, Anielle Franco (Racial Equality), Marina Silva (Environment), Sonia Guajajara (Indigenous Peoples), in addition to Nísia Trindade and Alexandre Padilha (former and current heads of Health).
The PF also demands the security of the president of the BNDES, Aloizio Mercadante, and the ministers of the STF.
The documents sent by Andrei to the Ministry of Justice mention national and international trips and events that were accompanied by the PF, in addition to the amount paid for the agents’ travel.
The expenses cited by the PF include around R$170,000 for police officers to accompany Dino on a trip to Italy in the first two weeks of January this year, a period in which there are no work activities registered in the STF minister’s official agenda.
There are also smaller charges, such as R$7,000 for protecting Nísia during a four-day Ministry of Health work trip to Rio Grande do Sul.
After negotiation with the PF, the PF agreed that it will charge the agencies itself. The department led by Lewandowski also mentioned that part of the reimbursement can be made through a supplement of R$30 million to its budget that the PF has already requested from the government.
“It was agreed that the actions relating to eventual reimbursement be carried out by the Federal Police itself”, states a document from the ministry’s planning and budget area.
The decision to create its own directorate in the PF to protect authorities also took place after an election year marked by , in addition to and .
The personal security of authorities also helps the PF to have greater political dialogue with the government. It was while protecting Lula during the campaign, for example, that Andrei became close to the president and was chosen general director of the PF.
Before him, the PF delegate approached the former president when coordinating the then candidate’s security. He was later promoted to director of Abin (Brazilian Intelligence Agency) and then ran for federal deputy in Rio de Janeiro.
The Personal Protection Directorate deals with the “security of foreign dignitaries visiting the country” and also Brazilian authorities, who request these services, according to a presidential decree. The body also works to provide security for Lula and the vice-president, Geraldo Alckmin, under the coordination of the GSI.
The same decree states that the PF can act in the personal security of federal authorities “exceptionally” and when determined by the Minister of Justice.
When charging compensation for the security of authorities, the PF precisely cites the increase in its scope of action after the creation of the new directorate.
Documents obtained by the report also show that the government is evaluating a new expansion in the protection structure for PF authorities. The idea is to create “dignitary security” police stations in São Paulo, Rio and Brasília, in addition to security centers for these authorities in all other states.
“The measure seeks to provide greater administrative and operational capillarity to protection activities, currently concentrated in a few units, ensuring a rapid and uniform response to the growing demands related to federal authorities, foreign dignitaries and candidates for the Presidency of the Republic during the election period”, states the Ministry of Justice, in a document that forms part of the government’s discussion.
