Government Restricts Brazil's Freedom Of Information Law
Source: Folha Brazil
A decree signed by acting president changes rules regarding which government employees can request secrecy
Jan.25.2019 5:52PM
BRASÍLIA
A decree signed by acting president Hamilton Mourão changed the rules regarding the Law of Information Access (LAI, Brazil's version f the Freedom of Information Act). Now the law allows that government officers with temporary contracts to classify internal information as ultrasecret and secret - denominations that carry a secrecy period of 25 and 15 years, respectively.
The decree, which was made official on Thursday (24th), increases the number of cabinet positions who have this type of clearance. Previously, only the president, vice-president, state ministers, Armed Forces commanders and heads of permanent diplomatic missions had this kind of power.
The new decree enables all civil servants who have management positions and earn around R$ 17,000 (US$ 4.350) per month. There are 206 positions in the current administration.
Also, it will be possible to delegate powers to give secrecy to any document to heads of federal agencies, foundations, public companies and mixed economy societies.
Read more: https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/internacional/en/brazil/2019/01/government-restricts-brazils-freedom-of-information-law.shtml?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsen
sandensea
(21,688 posts)It started as mayor, when he refused to abide by freedom of information laws on municipal contracts - many of which (quelle surprise) were being given to his family, friends (mostly Nicky Caputo), and supportive media (the Clarín Group, etc.).
As president, some of the most notable examples include documents related to the November 2017 ARA San Juan sub disaster - which was revealed to be on a mission (classified), and to have been targeted by Chilean and U.K. war planes just before its sinking (classified).
The guest/visitor logs at the presidential residence, the Quinta de Olivos, have likewise been unduly classified. These are, by law, in the public domain.
And as often happens with presidents most given to secrecy, Macri is inordinately fond of surveillance - illegally, if need be.
He was, you'll recall, indicted as mayor of illegal wiretaps against heads of AMIA bombing victims rights groups and even against his own father and brother in law, with who he's had strained relations.
As president, he purchased Israeli Pegasus phone hacking software in 2017 - which led to a wave of phone video leaks against critical journalists just a few months later.
His Chief of Staff also has full access to personal social security records - which he apparently used to launder millions, by way of identity theft, in sub rosa campaign donations for the 2017 mid-terms.
Recently he's even decreed the extrajudicial use of distress warrants against personal property for anyone "suspected" of corruption - i.e. against his opponents, on trumped-up charges (but never his allies' or own family's undeclared, but proven, overseas assets).
Bolsonaro is currently preparing a similar decree, I understand.
Cheeto must be jealous. "Why can't we be a third world country," he must have asked.