Lula Slams US for Labeling Brazil's Top Gangs as 'Terrorists'

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, a leftist leader, has denounced the US decision to place the country's two largest criminal gangs on a 'terrorist' list, warning the label could be a 'backward step' for local law enforcement efforts.

In a 435-word message posted on social media platforms on Friday (May 23, 2026), Lula drew a clear distinction between organized criminal activity and international terrorism, which typically uses violence for political or social aims.

'The terror these organizations cause to communities is aimed at profiting through crime – specifically drug and arms trafficking,' Lula wrote. Such activities, though violent, 'should not be confused with acts driven by ideological, political, or religious motives – the hallmarks of international terrorism.'

Lula's remarks responded to an announcement a day earlier from the administration of US President Donald Trump. On Thursday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio revealed he had designated Brazil's two largest criminal organizations – Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) and Comando Vermelho (CV) – as 'specially designated global terrorists.' He also outlined plans to add both groups to the 'foreign terrorist organizations' list, effective June 5.

The 'terrorist' label will freeze any US-based assets linked to the targeted groups, but it can also be used to penalize anyone providing 'material support or resources' to them. Experts warn these restrictions could potentially affect financial institutions and even gang victims, including businesses and individuals who may be coerced into paying extortion.

Lula also expressed concern that the 'terrorist' label could pave the way for US military intervention, a worry he reiterated in his Friday statement, though he never named Trump directly. 'We are fully prepared to develop joint solutions that bring mutual benefit to all countries involved,' Lula wrote. 'However, we will not tolerate the imposition of arbitrary measures from abroad, nor will we accept them being used as a pretext to undermine our sovereignty or economy. Unilateral, unnegotiated measures can weaken the fight against crime and trigger actions that endanger the lives of people entirely unrelated to the crimes.'

Lula, a prominent leftist leader in Latin America, is in the throes of a tense election season as he seeks a fourth non-consecutive presidential term. In the 2022 race, he defeated right-wing incumbent Jair Bolsonaro, who was later convicted of conspiring to overturn the election results and is currently serving a 27-year prison sentence.

Bolsonaro's eldest son, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, is said to have played a key role in Trump's decision to apply the 'terrorist' label. The senator is now running for president in 2026 against Lula, and the two are in a tight race. This week, while visiting the White House, Senator Bolsonaro confirmed to reporters that he intended to seek the 'terrorist' designation for both the PCC and Comando Vermelho.

Trump has close ties to the Bolsonaro family. In his Friday post, Lula accused Senator Bolsonaro of using family connections to 'appeal to foreign authorities' for support. 'It is deplorable that, once again, members of the Bolsonaro family have gone to the US to lobby for foreign intervention in Brazil,' Lula wrote, pointing to alleged efforts to block the criminal prosecution of Jair Bolsonaro.

Under Trump, the US has taken an increasingly assertive stance toward the Western Hemisphere. Trump has used crime as a rationale for unilateral military action in the region. Since September 2025, his administration has carried out 59 strikes targeting alleged drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean, killing at least 196 people. On January 3, 2026, he launched a pre-dawn military operation targeting Venezuela, culminating in the kidnapping and imprisonment of then-President Nicolas Maduro on drug trafficking charges.

Security is expected to dominate the presidential election in October. This week's 'terrorist' label could put Lula in a difficult position, forcing him to denounce the label without downplaying levels of violence. Lula has sought to fend off criticism from the right that he is too soft on crime, pointing to a recent $11 billion government investment in the 'Brazil Against Organized Crime' program, along with a separate $2 billion program in March to strengthen prisons, improve murder investigations, and disrupt arms trafficking and other financial transactions by gangs.

According to a Datafolha poll on May 16, 2026, both Lula and Bolsonaro received 45% support in a head-to-head race, with 9% of voters saying they would cast blank ballots and 1% undecided.