Brazil Sets Up Amazon Security Center to Tackle Crime

Brazil is advancing the setup of the International Amazon Security Center (CCPI-Amazon) in Manaus, targeting environmental crimes and drug trafficking.

Set to launch in early 2024, the center will unify efforts from the eight Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO) countries—

• Bolivia,
• Brazil
• Colombia,
• Ecuador,
• Guyana,
• Peru,
• Suriname, and
• Venezuela

along with the United States and the European Union.

Orchestrated by the Brazilian Federal Police (PF), CCPI-Amazon aims to bolster crime-fighting across the Amazon, focusing on conserving biodiversity.

Combatting Illegal Activities

The center will counteract illegal gold mining, especially in indigenous territories such as the Yanomami, drug trafficking, and other environmental crimes.

Humberto Freire, head of DAMAZ, stressed the center’s priority to curb the illegal gold trade.

Brazil intends to distribute its Federal Police technology that uses radioisotopes to trace the origin of illegally mined gold across various sites.

This method, nearing completion, will be shared with neighboring countries to help track the illegal extraction of resources.

Enhancing Regional Cooperation

CCPI-Amazon will act as a central hub for collaborative efforts among member countries, enriching strategies for crime prevention and investigation.

This center will unite forces from the Legal Amazon states and key international police bodies to enhance crime monitoring and countermeasures in the Amazon.

Conceived at the Amazon Summit in August 2023, the center has a budget of around $3.2 million for setup and operational costs for its inaugural year.

Strengthening Cross-Border Alliances

In late February, security representatives from ACTO countries convened in Brasilia to discuss strategies against environmental crimes.

The Amazon basin, under threat from both transnational and local criminal entities, demands a comprehensive security approach.

Ilona Szabó, president of the Igarapé Institute, highlighted the urgent need for a multi-dimensional security plan to protect this critical ecosystem.