Brazil’s Conservatives Thank Trump for Designating Gangs Terrorists

The U.S. State Department announced that effective June 5, Comando Vermelho, known in English as Red Command, and Primeiro Comando da Capital, or First Capital Command (PCC), will be officially classified as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs) and Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs). Both gangs have operated for decades across South America, engaging in narco-terrorism, drug trafficking, and brutal violence that has claimed countless lives.

The designation announcement came just hours after Senator Bolsonaro, son of conservative former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, held a private meeting with President Trump at the White House on Tuesday, as Breitbart News reports.

Speaking to media following the session, Senator Bolsonaro revealed that securing terrorist designations for PCC and Red Command formed the central topic of his conversation with the American president. After Secretary Rubio made the formal announcement, Bolsonaro released a social media video expressing gratitude on behalf of the Brazilian people.

In his video message, Bolsonaro sharply contrasted his actions with those of Brazil’s current socialist government. In one trip as a pre-candidate, we have done more for Brazil than the Workers’ Party (PT) and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva accomplished during their 17 years in power, he stated. Bolsonaro accused Lula of lobbying Trump to protect the very gangs that terrorize Brazilian communities, while he himself worked to ensure they received the terrorist label they deserve.

The senator emphasized the staggering reality facing ordinary Brazilians: one in four citizens live in territories controlled by these narcoterrorist organizations. These Brazilians lack sovereignty even within their own homes, he noted. A government unable to control its territory or its prison system, Bolsonaro argued, becomes complicit with organized crime.

Bolsonaro thanked Trump and Rubio for their swift response to his request, made on behalf of the Brazilian people. Looking toward the 2027 elections, he pledged to free Brazilians from what he described as a parallel, violent, and cowardly government.

On Friday morning, Bolsonaro reiterated Brazilian gratitude to Secretary Rubio through social media, stressing that the battle against narco-terrorists requires unity among all countries affected by their criminal operations.

Lula Government Rejects U.S. Action

Despite the extensive criminal records of Red Command and First Capital Command, President Lula’s socialist administration has consistently opposed any U.S. terrorist designation for these groups. Brazilian authorities have reportedly argued that the gangs do not qualify as terrorist organizations under Brazilian law because their activities stem from economic interests and territorial control rather than ideological motivation.

The Brazilian government issued a sharp rebuke of both the U.S. designation and Senator Bolsonaro’s role in securing it. In an official statement released Friday by the Planalto presidential palace and posted to President Lula’s social media accounts, the administration characterized the American action as a potential setback in fighting crime that poses risks to civilian lives and threatens economic damage to Brazil.

The presidency condemned Senator Bolsonaro specifically, calling it deplorable that members of the Bolsonaro family traveled to the United States to advocate for foreign intervention in Brazil, comparing it to their conduct during what it termed the tariff crisis.

The government statement acknowledged that organized crime crosses borders and requires joint action, noting that Brazil has built partnerships with numerous countries including the United States over decades. On April 16, Brazil presented a proposal to the U.S. State Department focused on intelligence and international cooperation, including expanded controls on money laundering conducted abroad and arms trafficking destined for Brazil.

While expressing openness to international collaboration against criminal factions, the Lula administration drew a firm line against what it termed arbitrary foreign measures. The government declared it would not accept the use of such measures as a pretext to attack Brazilian sovereignty and economic interests.

The Brazilian presidency warned that unilateral, non-negotiated actions could weaken the fight against criminals and endanger the lives of innocent civilians who have no connection to criminal activity.

With information from Breitbart News