A majority of Brazilians approve of the United States’ decision to classify the Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) and Comando Vermelho, two of Brazil’s largest criminal factions, as terrorist organizations, according to single-source reporting from Revista Oeste citing an AtlasIntel poll.
The survey, released on June 4, found that 53.1% of respondents approved of the U.S. move, while 44.7% disapproved. Another 2.2% said they did not know.
Security and Sovereignty
The PCC, which emerged in São Paulo’s prison system, and Comando Vermelho, rooted in Rio de Janeiro’s criminal underworld, are among Brazil’s most powerful organized-crime groups. Both have been linked for years to drug trafficking, prison networks and violent territorial disputes.
The poll suggests that support for the U.S. decision does not erase concerns about sovereignty. According to Revista Oeste, 47.7% of respondents said the terrorist classification could pose a risk to Brazilian sovereignty by opening space for foreign interference in domestic affairs.
Another 44.7% said the measure was necessary to strengthen the fight against organized crime. A smaller group, 7.3%, viewed the designation as mostly symbolic and unlikely to produce major practical effects.
Revista Oeste also cited figures first reported by Poder360 showing a similar split in public reaction. In that framing, 53% of respondents said the U.S. decision was positive for Brazil, 33% considered it negative and 14% did not give an opinion.
Electoral Effects
The AtlasIntel poll also tested whether the issue could influence voting behavior. According to the report, 50.8% of respondents said they would be more likely to vote for a candidate who supports classifying the PCC and Comando Vermelho as terrorist organizations.
By contrast, 33.6% said they would prefer candidates opposed to the measure. Another 15.7% said a candidate’s position on the issue would not affect their vote.
The survey found slightly higher support for Brazil adopting a similar classification itself. Revista Oeste reported that 55.9% of respondents supported a Brazilian government decision to label the factions as terrorist organizations, while 40.8% opposed it and 3.2% did not know.
U.S. Decision
According to Revista Oeste, the U.S. government announced the classification on May 28. The report said the announcement came shortly after a White House meeting between Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, a son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, and U.S. President Donald Trump.
Flávio Bolsonaro said the classification of the Brazilian factions was among the topics discussed during the meeting, according to the outlet.
AtlasIntel interviewed 1,273 Brazilians between May 30 and June 3. The poll’s margin of error was three percentage points, with a 95% confidence level, Revista Oeste reported.