Rio de Janeiro legislative commission approves terrorist designation for criminal factions

The Constitution and Justice Commission (CCJ) of the Rio de Janeiro State Legislative Assembly (Alerj) has approved Bill 7.774/2026, which seeks to classify the criminal organizations Comando Vermelho (CV) and Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) as terrorist groups within the state.

The proposal, authored by four deputies from the Liberal Party (PL), authorizes state public security agencies to establish specific combat protocols against these factions. It also allows for cooperation with national and international institutions that use similar classifications and permits the state government to form agreements with the Armed Forces to support operations against the groups.

While the bill has passed the commission stage, it must still be voted on by the full plenary of Alerj and subsequently sanctioned by the governor to become law. Proponents argue the measure is necessary because the factions use war-grade weaponry and control territories, while some legislators have raised questions regarding whether a state has the legal authority to legislate on terrorism, a matter typically handled at the federal level.