Lewandowski Expected to Leave Brazil’s Justice Ministry This Week as Succession and Restructuring Talks Intensify

Overview

• Multiple outlets report the departure could be formalized on Friday, January 9, after Lewandowski notified President Lula of his intention to leave in late December.
• Senior aides are expected to follow him out, including executive secretary Manoel Carlos de Almeida Neto and national public security secretary Mario Sarrubbo, with Marivaldo Pereira also planning to exit to run in 2026.
• Federal Police director Andrei Rodrigues is cited as a leading contender to assume the portfolio, while other names are floated and speculation about an interim led by Manoel Carlos is disputed by his allies.
• With key bills stalled, the ministry issued new ordinances creating the National Criminal Information System and a national protocol for suspect identifications to advance parts of its security agenda administratively.
• The Lula government is weighing a split of the combined Justice and Public Security ministry, a move under discussion that would depend on political negotiations and constitutional steps, as broader cabinet changes loom before April.