Brazil Weighs Terrorism Label for Gangs as Top Officials Push Back

Overview

• Lawmakers postponed a Commission on Constitution and Justice vote on PL 1,283/2025, and Chamber president Hugo Motta signaled a decision by the end of next week as CCJ chair Paulo Azi floated merging the competing bills under one report.
• Supreme Court justice Gilmar Mendes rejected the need to classify factions as terrorists, decrying what he called politicization of crime policy.
• Government figures Gleisi Hoffmann and Randolfe Rodrigues argued the terrorism label misaligns with Brazilian law and could invite claims of foreign interference, urging focus on tougher penalties, financial disruption and coordinated policing.
• Specialists Lincoln Gakiya and Maurício Diter warned the reclassification would shift cases to federal courts, risk stalling ongoing probes and weaken state police, noting that organized-crime, drugs and anti–money laundering laws already provide the necessary tools.
• Bill author Danilo Forte defended the change as a way to enable preventive actions and shield officers from internal discipline, rejecting concerns about external intervention as unfounded; the debate has intensified since a Rio operation left 121 dead.