Trump report Brazil — Brazil’s National Secretary of Justice, Maria Rosa Guimarães Loula, expressed “perplexity” on Thursday (17) over a report from Donald Trump’s administration that criticizes Brazil’s efforts against the Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) and Comando Vermelho (CV) criminal factions. The U.S. document, an annual report to Congress released on Wednesday (16), accuses Brazil of failing to confront the groups, which the U.S. recently designated as terrorist organizations.

Maria Rosa argued the citation lacks legal consistency, noting that Brazil is not among the 23 countries the U.S. officially lists as major drug producers or transit zones. She described the mention as a “lateral opinion” that did not warrant a formal Brazilian government response, as it is an internal U.S. determination. “Objectively, there is no reason to cite Brazil,” she stated at the 20th Brazilian Public Security Forum in São Paulo.

The report claims Brazilian criminal organizations have turned the country into a hub for the global cocaine flow and represent a “growing threat to peace and security worldwide.” It urges President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s government to adopt urgent, forceful measures. Maria Rosa countered by highlighting Brazil’s domestic actions, including thousands of operations and the recent Anti-Gang Law.

She suggested that responding officially could give the document undue relevance. The report also criticized other nations, including China, Mexico, and Canada, while praising recent political changes in Venezuela, Bolivia, and Colombia as creating “historic opportunities” for U.S. cooperation.