Brazilian President Lula da Silva, May 29, 2026. Photo: X/@folha.
Washington’s measure undermines anti-crime efforts and threatens Brazilian sovereignty, he stated.
On Friday, President Lula da Silva questioned the U.S. decision to designate two Brazilian criminal gangs, Comando Vermelho (CV) and Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC), as “Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs)” and “Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs).”
In a statement posted on X, the leftist leader stressed that the decision does not effectively contribute to the fight against drug trafficking and related crimes.
Judging by the most recent features of U.S. foreign policy, the decision made by Secretary of State Marco Rubio would instead appear to be part of a strategy aimed at justifying possible U.S. actions on Brazilian territory.
That possibility has been openly promoted by far-right politician Flavio Bolsonaro, who has been asking Washington for a military intervention in Brazil under the pretext of combating international drug trafficking.
The following is Lula’s statement in full:
“Brazil is a sovereign nation engaged in a permanent battle against Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC), Comando Vermelho (CV) and other factions and militias that practice terrorism in territories where millions of families live. Confronting these criminal organizations firmly is and will continue to be a priority for the Brazilian state.
The terror these organizations spread in communities seeks to generate profit through crime, especially drug trafficking and arms trafficking. It cannot be confused with the type of action motivated by the ideological, political, and religious reasons associated with international terrorism.
Our population’s security is far too important to be politically manipulated by traitors attempting to confuse these concepts. By false patriots linked to organized crime who ask foreign authorities to interfere in Brazilian affairs.
It is deplorable that members of the Bolsonaro family once again travel to the United States to advocate for foreign intervention in Brazil, as they did regarding tariff increases that caused so much harm to our country.
We recently approved a law to combat gangs and militias, with prison sentences of up to 80 years, the harshest punishment contemplated anywhere in Brazilian legislation.
The Brazilian government is implementing the program ‘Brazil Against Organized Crime,’ which combats gangs and militias from their armed bases in the streets to their top leadership.
Organized crime knows no borders, and fighting it requires joint action. For decades, we have forged partnerships with several countries, including the United States.
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On April 16, Brazil presented the U.S. Department of State with a proposal focused on intelligence and international cooperation, including expanded controls on money laundering conducted abroad and on arms trafficking directed toward Brazil.
Any international collaboration in the fight against gangs will be welcome. We remain willing to build joint solutions that benefit the countries involved. But we will not accept the use of arbitrary foreign measures as a pretext to attack our sovereignty and our economy.
Unilateral and non-negotiated measures can weaken the fight against crime and generate actions that endanger the lives of people unrelated to criminal activity. They can reduce the capacity for information sharing among police forces. They can affect our financial system and national innovations such as PIX, which inconvenience foreign interests.
In summary, this represents a possible setback in the fight against crime, a risk to people’s lives and economic losses for the country.
National sovereignty is nonnegotiable. Brazil rejects any form of external interference in its internal affairs. It is the Brazilian people, through their institutions, laws and security forces, who determine how crime is classified and combated within Brazil.”
(Telesur) by JF
