President Lula’s decree confirms that Abin will now be subordinated to the Civil House, under the management of Rui Costa, and no longer to the GSI.| Photo: Antonio Cruz/Agencia Brasil

The decision of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) to transfer the management of the Brazilian Intelligence Agency (Abin) to the Civil House was confirmed this Thursday (2nd) by a decree published in the Official Gazette (DOU). (see in full)

The agency was subordinated to the Institutional Security Cabinet (GSI), commanded by reserve general Marco Edson Gonçalves Dias, and now passes to the structure of Minister Rui Costa.

The transfer of Abin to the Civil House began to be discussed shortly after the acts of January 8, and the expectation is that the former general director of the Federal Police, Luiz Fernando Corrêa, will be appointed to head the body.

According to the presidential decree, Abin has the “competence [de] plan, execute, coordinate, supervise and control the country’s intelligence activities, obeying the policy and guidelines established in specific legislation”.