News

05/01/24

IBRAM and the Ministry of Justice and Public Security sign a technical cooperation agreement in Brasília. Mining companies will provide information to support the structuring of actions coordinated by the ministry.

The active participation of the Brazilian Mining Institute (IBRAM) and mining companies in partnership with the Ministry of Justice and Public Security will be essential to improve the planning of integrated security actions in several municipalities located around high-value mineral production projects. , targeted by organized crime. This statement was made by acting minister Ricardo Capelli, who on Friday morning (5/1) signed a technical cooperation agreement with the Institute, at the ministry’s headquarters, in Brasília.

This agreement aims to prepare studies and diagnoses, in order to support the formulation of strategies to combat organized crime and violent crime that have been impacting the operations of gold and precious stone mining companies in the country. It is an integral and fundamental part of the Work Plan to be developed by the National Public Security Secretariat (SENASP) together with communities and local authorities to develop defense mechanisms against criminal events, encourage the exchange of information between mining companies and municipal authorities , state and federal, enabling training and developing simulations with planned operations in producing municipalities.

Interim Minister Ricardo Capelli celebrates the partnership with IBRAM

“It is a joy to sign this agreement with IBRAM. It is a further step in this effort by the national network to combat organized crime; It is a partnership like others we are creating with other sectors, such as Febraban (a financial sector entity), Anatel and telephone companies (…) Brazil is a mineral power. The sector represents a large part of the trade balance and has strategic importance for the economy (…) Organized crime destroys the economy, threatens life and violates the democratic rule of law”, said Capelli shortly after signing the agreement with the vice-president of IBRAM, Fernando Azevedo.

“In contrast, to the long-term investments made by mining companies in their projects, which generate several benefits for the country and Brazilians, criminal activities only take a few moments to put an end to the result of such an effort and contribution of financial resources. It is a situation that should not continue in the national territory. Mining produces its results to, firstly, meet the strategies and interests of the Union, since it holds the subsoil riches and it is up to the mining companies, the role of taking care of the industrial processes after receiving the due legal concession”, stated Fernando Azevedo.

For him “the signing of this agreement is of immense importance for the national interest. It is the Brazilian State taking measures, in partnership with the private sector, to put an end to the actions of organized gangs, who loot precious loads of ore and cause serious safety problems for people, as well as damage to the economy and the environment”. He thanked Capelli for welcoming the ministry to plan and carry out integrated actions aimed at greater security in cities close to mining projects. “There was genuine interest from the parties involved in the integration of efforts between the Union, States, Municipalities and mining companies in combating crime”, said the vice-president of IBRAM.

During the negotiations that resulted in the agreement signed in Brasília with the ministry, IBRAM developed research with gold and precious stone mining companies, where it was possible to record the perception of mining company managers about the problems and challenges inherent to the topic, in addition to collecting data on production, job creation, taxes, location of mining operations, public bodies and security forces present in municipalities, incidence of organized gangs, among others.

Organizations from other sectors are also involved in this joint effort, such as value transportation and financial institutions, said Romero Costa, director of the Intelligence area at SENASP. “We are going to carry out integrated planning in cities with public security forces and companies. Simulations and preventive actions will be carried out and people will be trained on how to act in cases involving criminal activities,” he said. He mentioned some states where the joint program between the private sector and the public sector will take place: Bahia, Goiás, Minas Gerais, Pará, Mato Grosso and São Paulo.

The general director of the National Mining Agency, Mauro Henrique Souza, praised the partnership signed between IBRAM and the ministry and believes it will yield positive results to mitigate criminal actions. ‘It’s a state issue as they occur in several locations across the country,” he said. José Luiz Ubaldino, director of the Geology department of the Ministry of Mines and Energy, also celebrated the partnership. He represented minister Alexandre Silveira at the ceremony.