Centro Nacional de Inteligencia
Encyclopedia
The National Intelligence Center is the Spanish
official intelligence agency
. Its headquarters are located in the A-6 motorway near Madrid
. The CNI is the successor of the Centro Superior de Información de la Defensa
, Higher Centre for Defense Intelligence. Its main target areas are North Africa
and South America
and it operates in more than 80 countries. CNI's official budget for 2010 (the CNI can get further resources from the reserve founds) is approximately 255 million euros.
The Secretary of State - Director of the CNI is currently General Félix Sanz Roldán.
all the necessary information to prevent, and given the case, to avoid any risk or menace that affects the independence or integrity of Spain, its national interests, as well as the rule of law
and its institutions. In the same way, the law states that the specific goals of the CNI will be determined and approved yearly by the Council of Ministers
. These goals will be included in a secret document, the Intelligence Guidelines.
Besides this organic control of the Center by the Ministers Council, there is also a judiciary control, given the fact certain activities require such intervention. This control is carried out by a judge of the Spanish Supreme Court
, chosen by a qualified majority. In this sense, those actions requiring previous authorization by the court are those regarding communications interdiction, entry and registration at home or enterprise addresses, or any other would-be violations of the fundamental rights granted by the Spanish Constitution of 1978
.
paralyzing its development. Student revolts by the end of the 1960s decade motivated the creation of a National Countersubversive Organization, which was the seed for the Servicio Central de Documentación, (SECED), founded in 1972. The Centro Superior de Información de la Defensa
, CESID, was formed between 1976 and 1977, from the fusion of the SECED and the High Staff of the Army Information Service (Spanish: Servicio de Información del Alto Estado Mayor (SIAEM))
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
official intelligence agency
Intelligence agency
An intelligence agency is a governmental agency that is devoted to information gathering for purposes of national security and defence. Means of information gathering may include espionage, communication interception, cryptanalysis, cooperation with other institutions, and evaluation of public...
. Its headquarters are located in the A-6 motorway near Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
. The CNI is the successor of the Centro Superior de Información de la Defensa
Centro Superior de Información de la Defensa
Centro Superior de Información de la Defensa was the Spanish intelligence agency before the current Centro Nacional de Inteligencia took over as its successor in 2002.-History:...
, Higher Centre for Defense Intelligence. Its main target areas are North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
and South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
and it operates in more than 80 countries. CNI's official budget for 2010 (the CNI can get further resources from the reserve founds) is approximately 255 million euros.
The Secretary of State - Director of the CNI is currently General Félix Sanz Roldán.
Goals & operation
The Center's essential goal is to give the Spanish GovernmentSpanish Government
Spain is a constitutional monarchy whose government is defined by the Constitution of Spain. This was approved by a general referendum of the people of Spain in 1978...
all the necessary information to prevent, and given the case, to avoid any risk or menace that affects the independence or integrity of Spain, its national interests, as well as the rule of law
Rule of law
The rule of law, sometimes called supremacy of law, is a legal maxim that says that governmental decisions should be made by applying known principles or laws with minimal discretion in their application...
and its institutions. In the same way, the law states that the specific goals of the CNI will be determined and approved yearly by the Council of Ministers
Council of Ministers of Spain
The Cabinet of Spain is a collegiate body composed of the President of the Government , Vice Presidents when existing and the Ministers, and any other member required by law, and in some cases Secretaries of State...
. These goals will be included in a secret document, the Intelligence Guidelines.
Besides this organic control of the Center by the Ministers Council, there is also a judiciary control, given the fact certain activities require such intervention. This control is carried out by a judge of the Spanish Supreme Court
Supreme Court of Spain
The Supreme Court of Spain is the highest court in Spain for all matters not pertaining to the Spanish Constitution. The court which meets in the Convent of the Salesas Reales in Madrid, consists of a president and an indeterminate number of magistrates appointed to the five chambers of the...
, chosen by a qualified majority. In this sense, those actions requiring previous authorization by the court are those regarding communications interdiction, entry and registration at home or enterprise addresses, or any other would-be violations of the fundamental rights granted by the Spanish Constitution of 1978
Spanish Constitution of 1978
-Structure of the State:The Constitution recognizes the existence of nationalities and regions . Preliminary Title As a result, Spain is now composed entirely of 17 Autonomous Communities and two autonomous cities with varying degrees of autonomy, to the extent that, even though the Constitution...
.
Precedents & history
The first Spanish intelligence service was created in 1935, in a short-lived experience with an almost null activity, due to the Spanish Civil WarSpanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
paralyzing its development. Student revolts by the end of the 1960s decade motivated the creation of a National Countersubversive Organization, which was the seed for the Servicio Central de Documentación, (SECED), founded in 1972. The Centro Superior de Información de la Defensa
Centro Superior de Información de la Defensa
Centro Superior de Información de la Defensa was the Spanish intelligence agency before the current Centro Nacional de Inteligencia took over as its successor in 2002.-History:...
, CESID, was formed between 1976 and 1977, from the fusion of the SECED and the High Staff of the Army Information Service (Spanish: Servicio de Información del Alto Estado Mayor (SIAEM))
Directors of the CESID / CNI
- José María Bourgón López-Dóriga (1977–1979)
- Gerardo Mariñas (1979–1981)
- Emilio Alonso Manglano (1981–1995)
- Félix Miranda (1995–1996)
- Javier Calderón (1996–2001)
- Jorge Dezcallar Manzanedo (civilian) (2001–2004)
- Alberto Saiz Cortés (civilian) (2004–2009)
- Félix Sanz Roldán (2009-now)