Foreign Ministry warns of risk of US military action in Brazil
In at least two responses to requests for information from federal representatives, Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned of the risk of US military action in Brazil following the designation of the Comando Vermelho (CV) and Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) as terrorist organizations.
“There is a possibility that the United States could use military force on Brazilian territory,” warns the most recent document, sent on July 1 and signed by Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira in response to a request for information from Congressman Evair Vieira de Melo of the opposition Republican Party.
In the text sent to Congress, the foreign minister states that the designation could have significant impacts on the economy and on national sovereignty. According to him, US authorities could impose unilateral and extraterritorial administrative and judicial measures against Brazilian individuals, companies, and organizations.
The designation was announced by the US in May this year. Last week, the US Department of the Treasury sanctioned two individuals and three Brazilian companies, alleging ties to the PCC.
In his response to Representative Evair Vieira, the minister emphasized that “the unilateral designation could be invoked as justification for extraterritorial actions against Brazilian institutions, particularly in the financial, immigration, and criminal spheres. Furthermore, there is a risk of the US using military force against Brazilian territory,” Vieira reiterated.
Mauro Vieira emphasized in his response that there had been no formal communication from the United States to Brazil regarding any intention to designate Brazilian criminal factions as terrorist organizations. He also argued that such a designation would offer no benefits to the security of either country.
“Militarizing the agenda”
The minister had previously drawn attention to the risk of the US using military force on Brazilian territory in a response dated May 29 of this year to Congressman Captain Alberto Neto of the Liberal Party - also a member of the opposition - who had submitted a request for information to the Foreign Ministry on the same topic.
“From a strategic and economic standpoint, such a reclassification would tend to militarize the regional agenda for combating organized crime, increase compliance costs for companies and the national financial system, and penalize lawful activities,” Vieira stated at the time.
“Confusion”
The foreign minister emphasized that, given the broad scope of the terms used in US counterterrorism legislation, there could be serious implications for Brazilian citizens in the financial, immigration, and criminal spheres, in addition to the possible use of military force. “This is, therefore, a measure with significant impacts on Brazil’s sovereignty.”
The minister believes that, in addition to failing to yield concrete benefits, classifying these criminal organizations as terrorist groups could undermine cooperation between the police forces of the two countries “by creating confusion between two phenomena that are clearly distinct under Brazilian law: organized crime and terrorism.”
