US embassy cable - 05BRASILIA2208

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BRASILIA 002208 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM, PGOV, SOCI, SNAR, KCRM, BR, Human Rights, TIP 
SUBJECT: BRAZILIAN GOVERNMENT PROMOTES HUMAN RIGHTS THROUGH 
POLICE TRAINING PROGRAMS 
 
1. (U) SUMMARY.  On August 8-9, poloffs met with National 
Secretariat of Public Security (SENASP) representatives to 
 
SIPDIS 
discuss new training programs designed to promote respect for 
human rights amongst police and other public security 
officials in Brazil.  States' budgetary constraints and 
unequal federal funding has led to a heterogeneous mix of 
basic police recruitment and training standards throughout 
Brazil.  Ricardo Balestreri, SENASP's Director of Research, 
Information Analysis, and Personnel Development, spoke 
candidly about the grave state of Brazilian police violence, 
and showed a genuine concern for human rights.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2. (U) On August 8, poloffs called on Juliana Barroso, 
General Coordinator of the National Secretariat of Public 
Security's (SENASP) Department of Research, Information 
Analysis, and Personnel Development, to discuss a new police 
training program sponsored by SENASP.  Inaugurated in 2000, 
SENASP is responsible for promoting Brazilian public security 
policy, and is a subordinate division of the Ministry of 
Justice (MOJ).  On July 12, SENASP and the Brazilian National 
Police Academy (ANPF) agreed to launch the Public Security 
Distance Education Project (SEAT), a GOB initiative to combat 
police violence through professional development and 
training.  The project plans to construct 200 educational 
telecenters at training facilities across Brazil where civil, 
military, and federal police, firemen, and municipal guards 
can access technical, human rights, and civics training 
materials on a 24 hour closed-circuit TV station.  With an 
estimated price tag of R$16 million of federal funds 
(approximately USD 7 million), SEAT is scheduled to go online 
in November 2005, following more than one year of preparation 
and planning.  Within three years, SENASP ambitiously aims to 
train Brazil's entire public security contingent, 
approximately 550,000 public security officers. 
 
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CRACKS IN PUBLIC SECURITY FOUNDATION 
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3. (U) Barroso told poloffs that the irregular quality of 
police training throughout Brazil is due to the federative 
nature of public security, and each state's responsibility to 
manage its own public security program.  As a result, Barroso 
said, states that are well-endowed with resources are 
naturally inclined to invest more into security.  While some 
states may offer 10 months of police training, another 
state's budget might only allow for a fraction of this 
instruction time, Barroso explained.  Nationwide, this 
inequality produces a heterogeneous mix of training 
standards.  Low educational levels among police officers also 
manifest a toll on recruitment requirements and standards. 
It is estimated, for instance, that 35% of military police in 
Brazil do not posses a high school education, Barroso said. 
 
4. (U) During the meeting, poloffs inquired why the GOB would 
invest a small yet substantial sum into the SEAT project, 
instead of trying to progressively bring all states' public 
security training programs up to par.  Barroso acknowledged 
the merits of attacking-the-weak-link strategy, but explained 
that the GOB simply does not possess the wherewithal for such 
enormous subsidies.  According to Barroso, this is 
unfortunate for Brazilian security officials who seek support 
from the GOB and SENASP.  In terms of guidance, SENASP is 
doubly constrained because it cannot force states to train 
police and public security officials.  SENASP must 
&negotiate8 with state governments in order to promote 
public security policies, Barroso said.  Additional budgetary 
and administrative problems underline SENASP's problems.  For 
2005, SENASP's budget was slotted at $R406 million, but the 
GOB only released $R120 million -- the remaining funds have 
been frozen.  Without notice, Barroso also told poloffs, the 
GOB could liquidate SENASP at any moment and send its 60 
uncontracted employees packing. 
 
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SENASP'S HUMAN RIGHTS CULTURE 
------------------------------ 
5. (U) Despite SENASP's budgetary woes, it has taken small, 
yet considerable steps to affect change in Brazilian policing 
practices.  In addition to the SEAT project, SENASP recently 
concluded the "Human Rights Campaign in Public Security," a 
series of two day seminars administered by human rights 
specialists in various Brazilian states from November 2004 to 
August 2005.  On August 9, poloff attended a ceremony to 
commemorate the campaign's conclusion where organizers 
presented and discussed results from the seminars.  During 
the ceremony the campaign's coordinator Rosa Almeida shared 
some telling anecdotes.  On several occasions during the 
campaign, many participants expressed their deep appreciation 
for the seminars.  Ricardo Balestreri, SENASP's Director of 
Research, Information Analysis, and Personnel Development, 
attended the event as well, and spoke candidly about the 
grave state of police violence in Brazil.  Balestreri 
conveyed a genuine concern and commitment to human rights. 
Balestreri strongly believed that the GOB is slowly improving 
Brazil's public security apparatus, but that these 
improvements will only be observed fully in the long-term. 
Balestreri also stressed the importance of &helping the 
helpers,8 i.e. not forgetting the importance of respecting 
the human rights of police officials who are often underpaid 
and underappreciated. 
 
DANILOVICH