Army leadership assesses that the idea of equating Brazil’s criminal factions with terrorist organizations (a proposal being discussed in the National Assembly during the debate on the opposition PL) could create a risk of external interference in Brazil.
The military has been monitoring the issue ever since it gained attention when the US President Donald Trump’s administration defended its classification of Brazilian factions PCC (Primeiro Comando da Capital) and CV (Commando Vermelho) as terrorist organizations.
Five generals were interviewed. sheetstates that, with reservations, this equation could open a gap for world powers to use interventionist discourse against Brazil.
There is a view within the military that the United States may have used aggressive anti-drug rhetoric in the Americas to justify military action in neighboring Brazil.
This is the case in Venezuela. The Trump administration has classified domestic criminal organizations as terrorist groups because of their ties to international drug trafficking, as happened with the Torren de Aragua faction in Venezuela.
The narrative of combating drug trafficking in the region is used by the US government to justify placing aircraft carriers and other naval vessels in international waters close to Venezuela.
The presence of U.S. forces in the region also serves as the Trump administration’s pressure on the regime of Nicolas Maduro, including tensions over possible U.S. ground operations in Venezuela.
The military’s position has been expressed behind the scenes and has been made known to MPs ahead of a debate on the anti-sectarian PL, which is scheduled to be voted on in the House of Commons on Wednesday (12th) this week. After four versions of the text by rapporteur Guilherme Derrite (PP-SP) and setbacks and changes in the powers of the federal police and anti-terrorism laws, this project should be analyzed only next Tuesday (18th).
The United States’ crusade against organized crime in South America caused an embarrassment with a visit to Brazil by Gen. Alvin Holsey, commander of U.S. Southern Command.
On the eve of his arrival, the American Embassy informed the Army of Southern Command’s desire to visit the 4th Jungle Infantry Battalion, based in Rio Branco (AC) and responsible for controlling Brazil’s borders with Peru and Bolivia.
“This visit provides an opportunity to gain first-hand insight into the challenges and threats that exist in the shared border region of Brazil, Peru, and Bolivia, particularly those related to illegal human trafficking,” the U.S. Embassy in Brasilia said in a statement.
This request was considered unusual. Typically, the commander of U.S. Southern Command visits regional commands led by four-star generals. Battalions are commanded by a lieutenant colonel and a colonel.
The Army denied the request, saying it came with little notice and did not have time to prepare the Rio Branco battalion for the arrival of the American commander.
As a solution, the Brazilian military offered Albin Horthy a visit to the Amazonian military headquarters in Manaus to learn about the army’s efforts in border control. The Americans rejected the proposal.
In October, Horthy resigned from U.S. Southern Command amid military operations in Latin America. The military commander’s early retirement is linked to tensions in Venezuela, according to the New York Times.
Equating Brazil’s criminal factions with terrorist organizations is being debated within the anti-sectarian PL in Congress. The bill was introduced by the Lula Government (PT), while Chamber of Commerce President Hugo Motta (R-PB) handed over a report on the proposal to Guilherme Delight. The opposition lawmaker is São Paulo’s public security secretary and an ally of Governor Tarcisio Freitas (Republican). He took leave from his job in the São Paulo executive branch to report on the project.
He was one of the advocates for amending anti-terrorism laws to include the acts of Brazilian criminal organizations as terrorist crimes. Following criticism from Lula’s government and members of the STF (Supreme Federal Court), Delight announced changes to the text, retracting this point and the need for federal police to request authorization or communicate operations to state governments.
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