Brazil President Lula condemns US terrorist label for major gangs

The United States added Brazil’s two largest criminal groups, Comando Vermelho (CV) and Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC), to its list of foreign terrorist organisations. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva denounced the move, saying Brazil should not be treated “as a shaky democracy” and warning that the designation could open the door to U.S. military involvement. Lula, 80, is seeking a fourth term in the October election and stressed that Brazil will fight the gangs domestically. He recalled a recent three‑hour meeting with former U.S. President Donald Trump, during which he delivered a document on organized crime. The designation follows a visit to Washington by right‑wing presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro, who asked the U.S. to label the gangs as terrorist groups. U.S. Secretary of State Marcio Rubiom described the organisations as “among the most violent criminal organisations in Brazil.”