The Brazilian government and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) have signed a memorandum of understanding to expand cooperation in the fight against organized crime. The agreement allocates up to USD 978 million in funding for technical and financial support for Brazil’s program against organized crime.

The investment will be directed toward improving homicide investigations, strengthening prison security, combating the financial networks of criminal organizations, and tackling the trafficking of weapons.

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The announcement was made on Wednesday (Aug. 5) during the 3rd Regional Summit of the Alliance for Security, Justice, and Development, held at the headquarters of the Ministry of Justice and Public Security in Brasília.

During the meeting, it was reported that the demand from Latin American and Caribbean countries for public security funding surprised the IDB, leading it to increase the volume of financing allocated to projects combating violence and organized crime from USD 2.5 billion to USD 4 billion from 2026 to 2028.

According to IDB President Ilan Goldfajn, nearly 60 percent of the initiative’s three-year targets have been achieved in just one year. He attributed the increase in funding to strong demand from countries in the region, where public safety has become one of the governments’ top concerns.

Goldfajn noted that, although Latin America is home to about eight percent of the world’s population, it accounts for approximately 33 percent of the homicides recorded globally.

Defunding crime

Brazilian Minister of Justice Wellington César Lima e Silva advocated for expanded international cooperation and data exchange to combat transnational criminal organizations.

In his view, the fight against crime cannot be limited to the final manifestations of violence; efforts must also focus on dismantling the financial networks of criminal factions.

He noted that criminal structures have adapted to globalization, have begun to operate as networks, and use international financial systems to move funds quickly.

Interpol

The summit also marked Interpol’s entry into the Rapid Response Task Force Against Violence and Organized Crime, created to provide specialized technical assistance to countries facing crises or emergency threats.

Interpol Secretary-General Valdecy Urquiza stated that security, justice, and development must be addressed in an integrated manner and that the new partnership will expand the response capacity of countries in the region.

Alliance

Created to promote coordinated responses to security challenges in Latin America and the Caribbean, the Alliance for Security, Justice, and Development brings together 23 member countries and 14 strategic partners.

The initiative seeks to boost investments and support policies designed to prevent violence, strengthen institutions, modernize justice systems, and combat illicit markets.

During the summit, Brazil assumed the group’s rotating presidency for the next 12 months.