Brazil Takes Over OLACEFS Presidency for the 2026 2028 Term
The ceremony held on January 28 in Brasília marked the transfer of leadership from SAI Paraguay to the Brazilian Federal Court of Accounts
By Secom / Serint
On January 28, the Brazilian Federal Court of Accounts (TCU) took over, the presidency of the Organization of Latin American and Caribbean Supreme Audit Institutions (OLACEFS) for the 2026 2028 term. The ceremony marked the transfer of leadership of the organization, previously held by the Office of the Comptroller General of Paraguay. The event took place at the TCU headquarters in Brasília and was attended by national authorities and representatives of international organizations involved in government auditing.
In a recorded message, the chair of the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI) and head of SAI Egypt, Counselor Mohamed El-Faisal Youssef, stated that the selection of the TCU recognizes the Brazilian Court as an international benchmark in promoting independence, transparency, and accountability, while also strengthening coordination among regional organizations. TCU's inauguration represents a milestone of institutional continuity and cooperation, with the potential to raise the quality and impact of oversight across the region, he said.
Also participating online, OLACEFS Executive Secretary and Auditor General of Mexico, David Colmenares Páramo, highlighted that the organization is going through a phase of institutional strengthening, based on collaboration among institutions, the exchange of experiences, and the development of technical capacities.
According to Colmenares, OLACEFS consolidated itself during the last term through strategic projects and technical recognition and will now move forward even further to respond to an increasingly dynamic and complex context, marked by digital transformation, sustainability, and new challenges to public-sector oversight.
Legacy and transition
In reviewing his term, the President of OLACEFS for the 2023 2025 period, Camilo Benítez Aldana, Comptroller General of Paraguay, highlighted the organization's 60 years of activity and underscored the importance of the independence of supreme audit institutions.
Benítez drew attention to the need to maintain harmony among countries in the region and to strengthen government audit in the face of emerging challenges, such as the use of artificial intelligence in monitoring public spending. He also mentioned advances in environmental auditing and the strengthening of regional cooperation throughout his term.
The central moment of the ceremony was the reading and signing of the instrument transferring the OLACEFS presidency, followed by the symbolic handover of the organization's flag. Camilo Benítez Aldana emphasized that the ceremony also reinforces the continuity of the institutional legacy, recalling that Minister Augusto Nardes chaired OLACEFS between 2013 and 2015.
In his address, TCU President Minister Vital do Rêgo stated that the new Presidency will be guided by regional integration, transparency, and public accountability. Our commitment is to strengthen cooperation among countries in the region, respecting differences and joining efforts so that public oversight continues to serve citizens with independence, transparency, and responsibility, he declared.
Also attending the ceremony were Minister Walton Alencar Rodrigues; the Prosecutor General of the Public Prosecution Office within the TCU (MPTCU), Cristina Machado da Costa e Silva; MPTCU Prosecutor Sérgio Caribé; and the Secretaries-General Juliana Pontes, for Government Oversight, and Cláudia Jordão, linked to the Court's Presidency.
Technical meetings
In addition to the ceremony, the OLACEFS representatives work agenda in Brasília includes technical meetings to address topics such as governance, operational planning, institutional communication, risk management, strategic partnerships, and priorities for the 2026 Annual Plan. These meetings promote an organized, collaborative, and results-oriented transition.
The full recording of the OLACEFS presidency transfer ceremony is available on the OLACEFS YouTube channel.
Photos from the ceremony and the technical meetings are available here.