The Secretary of State of the United States (USA) government issued this Thursday, 28, a statement informing the designation of the criminal groups Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) and Comando Vermelho (CV) as global terrorist organizations. On June 5th, the two organizations will also appear on a second list of foreign terrorist organizations.
The measure was announced in spite of the Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva government, and after an express request and political support from the opposition pre-candidate for Palácio do Planalto and senator Flávio Bolsonaro (PL-RJ). When contacted, Itamaraty has not yet responded. The senator celebrated on his social media profile: “Great day!”
The parliamentarian visited the American president, Donald Trump, last Tuesday, the 26th, and said he had requested the inclusion of the factions on the list of international terrorist organizations. The next day, the senator met with Rubio, with whom he discussed the matter.
Despite the designation one day after the meeting with Rubio, the Trump administration had already been studying the framework of the two groups for months and maintained a dialogue with the Brazilian government about the intention to implement this plan.
The statement was signed by Secretary of State, Marco Rubio. He states in the text that the two factions have influence and illicit connections that “extend far beyond the borders of Brazil, our region and are within our country (USA)”.
“The Trump administration will continue to use every tool available to protect our nation and our security interests by keeping illicit drugs off our streets and ending the revenue streams that fund violent narco-terrorists,” Rubio wrote.
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Flávio and the Bolsonarist base in the National Congress defend the classification of the factions as terrorists, something rejected by the Palácio do Planalto. The Brazilian government understands that the designation would ultimately allow the US to carry out a military operation on national territory.
This annoyance had already been expressed by Lula to Trump and his secretaries. During a visit to the White House in early May, the Brazilian president proposed bilateral cooperation between the two countries as an alternative to avoid classifying the factions as terrorist organizations and signaled that Brazil treats the issue as a priority. But the State Department’s decision did not depend on Brazil’s agreement.
Flávio reported, in turn, that he told Trump that he would support the measure if elected and that it will also lead Brazil to join the political and military coalition Shield of the Americas, launched in March by the republican with the support of 17 countries to promote military actions in the fight against drug trafficking. Flávio Bolsonaro stated that he made an “express request” to Trump to include the PCC and CV factions.
American interests
The purpose of the US designation is to facilitate the freezing of drug trafficking assets, the investigation and monitoring of faction members, the exchange of intelligence information, the application of financial sanctions, visa bans and the criminalization of material support, with weapons, money or training, among others.
Although US law does not authorize military attacks under such designation, it is common for organizations labeled as terrorists to target US military personnel outside their territory. Trump has also been questioned for not seeking approval from Congress or the United Nations Security Council for military strikes. Something similar happened in Venezuela.
Before the military operation in Caracas to capture Nicolás Maduro, the US designated the Venezuelan factions Tren de Aragua and Cartel de Los Soles as terrorists. The US Department of Justice even formally accused Maduro of leading Los Soles, but later backed down.
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The argument of combating drug trafficking was used by the Trump administration to position vessels and aircraft in the Caribbean Sea. They bombed small boats accused of transporting drugs, without demonstrating their illegal or violent activity, and later served as the basis for the attack that overthrew Maduro.
Diplomatic interlocutors also cite the risk that the Brazilian financial system will be the target of American sanctions, due to the flow of money from organized crime, even if banks are not aware of the illicit origin of the resources.
PCC and CV will be on two lists of terrorist organizations. The first, which deals with global organization, is prepared by the State Department and is more inclined to initiate combat actions also in the financial sphere against the faction. The second of a foreign terrorist organization is also made official by the State Department and serves to inform criminal investigations and curb illegal immigration.
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