Paraguay designates Comando Vermelho, PCC as terrorist organizations
People cry on a street where bodies are gathered in Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday. The police operation launched a day before was the deadliest in the Brazilian city’s history. Photo by Antonio Lacerda, EPA
Oct. 31 (UPI) — Paraguayan President Santiago Peña has signed a decree designating Brazil’s criminal groups Comando Vermelho and Primeiro Comando da Capital, or PCC, as terrorist organizations “because of their actions that threaten Paraguay’s national sovereignty and institutional stability.”
The decree says the designation aligns with a state policy reaffirming the country’s commitment to democracy, the rule of law and national sovereignty. It also allows for tougher penalties and strengthens international cooperation on security and extradition.
“For us, there is no doubt that these are criminal groups seeking to destabilize countries, and we must confront them,” Peña said on TV Paraguay.
The move follows a major operation by Brazil’s state police targeting organized crime in two Rio de Janeiro favelas, which left more than 120 people dead, many of them believed to be members of Comando Vermelho. Brazilian authorities described it as one of the deadliest anti-crime operations in recent years.
In response, Paraguay’s National Defense Council ordered the highest level of alert along the entire border with Brazil and instructed the armed forces, National Police and Migration Directorate to increase personnel and resources to bolster national security.
Authorities also announced coordination with security forces from Brazil and Argentina to conduct joint patrols and surveillance operations at border crossings and transit zones to prevent members of those criminal groups from entering the country.
Interior Minister Enrique Riera said the operational plan is underway, prioritizing intelligence work, drone-based aerial surveillance and coordination between military and police units.
The plan also calls for intensifying efforts against smuggling and organized crime, especially at the end of the year.
Riera added that security will be reinforced at prisons housing members of these criminal organizations.
According to Paraguayan media, both criminal organizations have a strong presence along the Paraguay-Brazil border, where they operate networks involved in drug and arms trafficking and money laundering.
The PCC has been operating in Paraguay for more than a decade, with a history of prison riots and executions, while Comando Vermelho has also expanded its influence in recent years, particularly in the country’s northern region, the Paraguayan newspaper ABC reported.