PCC and CV designated as terrorists by the US: what changes for Brazil
The Federal Police called the American decision to classify the PCC and CV as terrorist organisations an "error". Experts disagree over impacts on cooperation and sovereignty.
Federal Police criticises American designation of PCC and CV as terrorist organisations
The Brazilian Federal Police reacted with criticism to the United States decision to classify the First Capital Command (PCC) and the Red Command (CV) as terrorist organisations. According to reporting by g1.globo.com, security experts disagree on the consequences: some warn of risks to national sovereignty, others see an opening to broaden international cooperation.
The director-general of the Federal Police, Andrei Rodrigues, described the measure as an "error" and stated that it does not alter Brazil's approach to combating organised crime.
"In practice, this decision by another sovereign country has no influence whatsoever, it does not have the power to change Brazilian public policies. Our legislation and our way of tackling organised crime are based on integration, on decapitalisation — that is, removing the economic power of these organisations — and on the arrest of leaders", Rodrigues declared.
According to the director, the conceptual distinction between terrorism and organised crime is central to the strategy for combating it.
"Terrorist organisations have ideological motives, religious motives, objectives different from those of organised crime which, although it terrorises people, seeks profit. This definition is an error, because the strategy for combating is different for one group and for another."
Rodrigues added that the Federal Police has not yet been formally notified of any changes in cooperation with the United States and that the flow of this cooperation is, in practice, currently interrupted. "The intelligence agency or the Armed Forces do not cooperate; they work in a completely autonomous manner, including on foreign territory", he stated.
Government adopts cautious stance
In the federal government, the guidance is to act cautiously and intensify dialogue with American authorities to avoid negative impacts, both in the security sector and in the economy.
The former national public security secretary Mário Sarrubbo considered that the measure could harm the exchange of information between the two countries. According to him, the cooperation channel between Brazilian police agencies, public prosecution services and American agencies is, in theory, compromised given the new classification.
Experts point to risks and opportunities
For Leandro Piquet, coordinator of the School of Multidimensional Security at the University of São Paulo (USP), the classification brings broad impacts, but can also represent an opportunity.
"It is an opportunity for Brazil to strengthen its process of inspecting, monitoring, checking companies, checking the processes of infiltration of organised crime in various economic activities in the country. With this, this more intense exchange of information and the new mechanisms for freezing assets in the United States can improve the governance of this problem, which today has a very severe impact on Brazilian society, with territorial control, control of illicit markets and in clear process of expansion", Piquet stated.
Financial sector defends dialogue
The president of the Brazilian Federation of Banks (Febraban), Isaac Sidney, acknowledged that the measure may affect investments, but defended institutional engagement.
"We work with another perspective that the Brazilian State, through its organs, will be in a position to advance in debate, in dialogue with American authorities to clarify that we have strong institutionality. We have a banking sector that operates with integrity, with compliance, and therefore we must engage in this process of dialogue", Sidney said.
The American decision to formally classify the PCC and CV as terrorist organisations was announced in stages, and the Brazilian government believes that it should not have immediate effect on internal public security policies.
Source: Google News BR — Crime