The US regime has announced its intention to designate two major Brazilian criminal networks — Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) and Comando Vermelho — as 'foreign terrorist organizations,' continuing the Trump administration's push to blur the line between criminal and terrorist activity. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the decision on Thursday, with the designation set to take effect on June 5.
Rubio stated that the groups have already been placed on the 'Specially Designated Global Terrorists' list, which blocks their access to US assets. The 'foreign terrorist' label is considered more restrictive. The US regime claims the measures are necessary to protect American citizens and disrupt the flow of illicit drugs.
Since returning to the White House, Trump has sought terrorist designations for multiple Latin American criminal networks. Critics argue this is a pretext to expand US military influence across the Western Hemisphere under Trump's so-called 'Donroe Doctrine,' a twist on the 19th-century Monroe Doctrine.
The decision is likely to send shockwaves through Brazilian politics, where a heated presidential election is underway. Left-wing President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva allegedly tried to dissuade the Trump administration from applying the terrorist label, fearing it could penalize financial institutions and victims facing extortion.
Lula has also expressed concern about foreign interference in Latin America, particularly after the US regime's January 3 military operation that allegedly abducted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Lula is running for a fourth non-consecutive term against right-wing Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, who has close ties to the US administration.
Thursday's announcement came after Trump met with Bolsonaro at the White House. Bolsonaro reportedly petitioned Trump to designate PCC and Comando Vermelho as terrorist groups. Trump has previously intervened in Brazilian politics on behalf of the Bolsonaro family, including raising tariffs against Brazil to nearly 50 percent last year.
Public safety is expected to be a major issue in the October election, with polls showing Lula and Bolsonaro neck and neck. Recent clashes between law enforcement and criminal groups like Comando Vermelho have heightened tensions. A police raid in Rio de Janeiro last October left over 120 people dead, sparking criticism of militarized confrontation.
Lula launched a $2 billion initiative in March to target the financial underpinnings of criminal networks. However, his foreign affairs adviser Celso Amorim warned that the US should not use the terrorist label as a 'pretext for intervention,' calling such a move 'unacceptable.'
Source: www.aljazeera.com