Allies of the senator (-RJ) are pressing for the government to classify them (Primeiro Comando da Capital) and CV () as terrorist organizations as a strategy to block the government (PT) in relation to the issue of public security in the electoral campaign.
As the PT administration is against equating criminal factions with international terrorist organizations, this debate would force Lula’s allies to defend their position, which would be exploited by Bolsonarists as if it were protection for criminals, an issue with potential for wear and tear in the elections.
The assessment is made by people close to Flávio, who held a series of meetings in Washington this week to take the request to American authorities.
The Lula government assesses that the possible designation of the PCC and the CV as terrorist organizations by the USA is a result of unilateral measures by the American government. According to the PT’s allies, this could also open the door.
The request that PCC and CV be treated by the USA as terrorists was taken by Flávio to the president of the USA, , . The topic was discussed in meetings this Wednesday (27) with other American authorities, such as Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, and Vice President JD Vance.
According to interlocutors of the PL pre-candidate for President, Trump stated that he would evaluate this election, without giving any indication as to whether or not he would respond to it.
According to a note sent by Bolsonaro influencer Paulo Figueiredo, who follows Flávio’s agenda in the USA, the senator reinforced to the Secretary of State the request about factions made to Trump the day before and “Rubio demonstrated concern about the Brazilian scenario and receptivity to the proposal”.
The assessment of members of Flávio’s pre-campaign is that the public security agenda is positive for the senator at the same time that it represents a weakness for Lula and, therefore, should be explored.
Therefore, according to Flávio’s allies, the visit to Trump, on Bolsonarist social media, could help him more if it really results in the US siege of the factions.
Immediately, the meeting with the American president helped the senator divert his focus after the revelation of the close relationship between Flávio and the owner of , .
After the meeting with Trump, who sought to show the American president that he was the opposite of Lula.
“While Lula goes crawling on his knees to beg President Trump not to declare criminal organizations terrorists, I do the opposite,” he said.
When asked whether the designation would not open a gap for the US to interfere in Brazil, Flávio denied this and once again criticized the Lula government. “There is absolutely no threat to Brazil. Several other countries have done this.”
On the 7th, when Lula was received by Trump at the White House, there was the expectation that this issue could be addressed. After the meeting, however, a proposal for cooperation between the USA and Brazil to combat .
On the part of the Lula government, the idea is to explore the meeting between Trump and Flávio for , which was already being applied by the Palácio do Planalto, aiming at the election.
PT members also intend to use as a resource against Flávio the comparison between the reception given by Trump to Lula, during the visit carried out at the beginning of the month, with that given to members of the Bolsonaro family this Tuesday.
The idea is to emphasize the meeting with the Brazilian president, which had elements such as a red carpet, photos with a handshake and positive statements from Trump, compared to a cooler reception for Flávio and Eduardo Bolsonaro.
In a photo published by the senator, the American president appears sitting at the table, in a different posture than the handshake published on the day of Lula’s visit. For the PT’s allies, the image and the conversation should only have an effect with Bolsonaro’s most loyal electorate, without major impacts for Lula.
During the meeting with Flávio, Trump even praised Lula for his “dynamism”, according to a report confirmed by Paulo Figueiredo, who participated in the meeting.
For Planalto Palace assistants, with this Tuesday’s meeting, Flávio also assumes the risk of being associated with possible setbacks in ongoing negotiations between Lula and Trump. Flávio said he had discussed with the American president topics that had already been discussed by both governments in the official meeting at the beginning of the month, such as negotiations around tariffs and .
According to these interlocutors, the tendency is for government officials to associate any retreat by Trump in dialogue with Brazil with Flávio, in order to portray him as someone who acted contrary to Brazilian interests.
In this way, Lula would come out ahead in the narrative of defending national sovereignty. In recent months, the Brazilian president has been correlating the Bolsonaro family with subservience to the USA.
