Brazilian Senator Flávio Bolsonaro has proposed creating a federal Ministry of Public Security to coordinate anti-crime operations across state and municipal governments.
The presidential candidate for the Liberal Party announced the initiative following a meeting in São Paulo with Gustavo Villatoro, the Minister of Public Security of El Salvador.
Speaking to journalists after the meeting at a hotel in Brazil's financial capital, Bolsonaro explained that the proposed ministry would operate exclusively to manage security strategy alongside state police forces and municipal law enforcement agencies. He said that if elected president, he would adopt a strongly municipalist stance by offering local governments financial support, organizational guidance, intelligence sharing, and information exchange across all levels of administration.
Bolsonaro described the discussion with Villatoro as highly productive, calling the Salvadoran official an important figure who could share successful policy measures, key priorities, and practical experiences. He credited Villatoro, working alongside Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, with carrying out one of the largest and most effective restorations of national sovereignty to return public safety to the Salvadoran people. He added that El Salvador's experience could serve as an inspiration for Brazil.
Security policies in El Salvador
Bukele has served as President of El Salvador since 2019, after winning election on promises to eliminate gang violence and revitalize the country's stagnant economy. In 2020, his administration legalized the use of lethal force by police and military forces against gang members.
El Salvador has remained under a state of exception since 2022, when the country's Legislative Assembly approved emergency powers at Bukele's request to combat a rising homicide rate. Under the emergency measures, the government opened a massive prison known as the Terrorism Confinement Center, or Cecot. The country later attracted worldwide attention when US President Donald Trump signed an agreement with El Salvador to transfer prisoners accused of belonging to Tren de Aragua, a violent criminal gang originating in Venezuela.
International criticism and human rights concerns
International observers and political analysts have questioned the Salvadoran government's methods, asserting that its security policies systematically violate human rights. Organizations such as Human Rights Watch and the United Nations Committee against Torture have denounced widespread rights abuses, while relatives of numerous detainees have protested that the mass arrests are unfair and that many prisoners have no connection to street gangs.
Concerns over the country's penal system escalated further after El Salvador's Legislative Assembly approved constitutional amendments published in the Official Gazette that allow life imprisonment for children under 12 years old. Salvadoran lawmakers established mandatory life sentences for individuals convicted of serious offenses, including homicide, feminicide, and rape.
The constitutional revisions drew sharp criticism from international rights bodies. The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child and UNICEF expressed deep concern in a joint statement, asserting that minors in conflict with the law must receive treatment prioritizing rehabilitation and reintegration, with imprisonment reserved as a last resort for the shortest possible duration. The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights also urged Salvadoran authorities to promptly review the changes, warning that the measures are deeply worrying and contradict international standards.
