U.S. designates Brazil's PCC and CV as terrorist groups

The United States announced at the end of May that it would classify Brazil's two major criminal organizations, the Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) and the Comando Vermelho (CV), as terrorist groups. The decision was formalized on 5 May and immediately entered Brazil's electoral discourse on public security.

Both presidential hopefuls responded: former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s campaign stressed national sovereignty and intelligence‑based measures, while pre‑candidate Flávio Bolsonaro sought to "capitalizar" the move, framing it as a political advantage after his meeting with President Donald Trump. The Senate coordinator of Bolsonaro’s pre‑campaign, Rogério Marinho, called the U.S. action an opportunity to “asphyxiate the finances of the factions” and protect citizens. Experts warned that simplistic security solutions could be used to mobilise voter bases, and public opinion polls show roughly three‑quarters of Brazilians favor labeling the groups as terrorist organizations.