The plan plans to expand security operations for presidential candidates in 2026 and calls for an increase of R$200 million in the Budget for the purchase of an anti-drone system and facial recognition device, in addition to the mobilization of 458 agents.
In the preliminary plan, the organization says that 48 police officers will act to protect the most exposed candidates, while another 24 will accompany presidential candidates at less risk. The PF also assesses that up to ten candidates should require coverage this year and considers that the plan will be redesigned if President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) confirms that he will run for re-election.
The strategy was presented to the (Superior Electoral Court), Planalto and the government’s economic team. The general director of the PF, Andrei Rodrigues, states in the same documentation that the need to increase the security of candidates reflects the “troubled moment we are going through”.
Rodrigues says that the international scenario is marked by wars and trade disputes, while Brazil is going through a period of “questions about the legitimacy of institutions’ actions”, under an “extremely polarized” political environment.
“It is not a trivial process and, considering the dangers of the internal and external environments, this process demands security measures that are increasingly better prepared and executed, which is why the respective funding cannot be subject to any insecurity, whether budgetary or in terms of the timeliness of commitment and execution”, stated the head of the PF.
The preliminary plan designed by the PF has 29 pages, divided into nine chapters on topics such as “logistics planning” and “response to critical incidents”.
Among the agents who will be mobilized, the forecast is that there will be 30 Federal Police delegates acting as leaders or substitutes for the teams that will accompany the candidates. Another 60 agents are expected to participate in intelligence actions.
Up to 316 police officers will be “protection operators” for candidates, the plan also says.
In , the PF stated that 300 to 400 agents and that it would spend R$57 million. When asked whether the amount was increased during the campaign and what the differences are with the current plan, the organization did not comment.
The PF also wants to structure or expand rooms reserved for authorities at airports. The corporation states that the increase in the value of the electoral fund should increase campaign travel, requiring daily allowances and tickets for the candidates’ security.
The body says that, in 2026, there will be a difference in the security of the electoral cycle, as the PF acts directly to protect the President of the Republic, which was previously done only by the GSI (Institutional Security Office). “These institutional frameworks require operational adjustments, as the President of the Republic may be a candidate for re-election, which requires an exclusive structure for presidential protection”, states the plan.
The plan says that it is necessary to consider the “history of violence” against presidential candidates, in addition to possible hostilities and “planned attempts at demoralization” by opponents, such as throwing eggs or “urine balloons”, blocking motorcades, among other situations.
Of the approximately R$200 million that the PF requests, more than R$92 million would be used to purchase 256 armored or unmarked vehicles. The plan includes R$39.5 million for the purchase of EnforceAir anti-drone system equipment, which uses radio frequency to locate and control the devices, as well as portable jammers.
The organization still plans to spend around R$50 million on daily allowances, tickets and funding supplies.
The PF states that purchases must include, “at a minimum”, veiled ballistic vests, binoculars with a camera, facial recognition devices, among other devices.
The PF strategy classifies types of incidents that can be observed during the campaign and points out what agents’ reactions should be. There are cases of “low impact”, such as shouting and small riots, to bomb threats, aggression or murder of the candidate and “structural collapse”, cases considered to be “high impact” or fatal.
The agents’ response ranges from isolating the area and activating bomb disposal teams to acting against cyber threats.
The documentation obtained by the report shows that the Minister of Justice and Public Security, Wellington César Lima e Silva, repeated the PF’s warning, in addition to the request for more funding, when forwarding the plan to government colleagues. He stated that the “institutional and democratic sensitivity” of the topic requires support.
