Brazil Names Piauí’s Chico Lucas to Lead National Public Security

Overview

• Justice Minister Wellington César selected Piauí security chief Francisco “Chico” Lucas to head the National Secretariat of Public Security, a choice backed by state security secretaries that Lucas publicly accepted.
• G1 reported the nomination was signed on Jan. 21, and he is expected to take office in early February without a confirmed date.
• Senasp is tasked with designing national public‑security policy and coordinating operations across federal and state governments.
• Lucas, a lawyer and former state prosecutor who has led Piauí’s security since 2023, is credited by the governor with cutting homicides by over 30% and cellphone robberies by over 50%.
• Piauí Governor Rafael Fonteles announced that Health Secretary Antônio Luiz Soares will assume the state’s security portfolio in February as the succession moves forward.