The United States, alongside 14 Latin American and Caribbean governments, moved yesterday to solidify imperial control over regional economies, signing the "Shield of the Americas" declaration. This pact immediately designated 24 criminal groups as "narcoterrorists," including Brazil's Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) and Comando Vermelho. The declaration mandates asset freezes, immigration restrictions, and criminal liability for anyone providing "material support" to these groups, expanding the state's power to seize wealth and suppress dissent.
President Donald Trump had requested the declaration. His administration's push for this agreement underscores a continued strategy of projecting US military and economic power to secure compliant governments and resources across the hemisphere. The designation of these groups as "narcoterrorists" provides a broad pretext for increased surveillance and intervention, serving the interests of transnational corporations and their allied states.
Imperial Reach and Asset Seizure
Brazil and Mexico, two of the region's largest economies, notably did not sign the declaration. Their absence highlights a divergence from the US-led initiative, signaling potential resistance to the expansion of Washington's security apparatus. The declaration's provisions for asset freezes represent a direct mechanism for capital seizure, allowing states to appropriate wealth under the banner of combating crime. This move effectively criminalizes economic activities deemed disruptive to established capital flows, regardless of their root causes in systemic poverty and inequality.
Brazil's Resistance to US Hegemony
The declaration's impact landed as a political shock in Brazil. Despite the PCC and Comando Vermelho being named, Brazil itself remained outside the agreement. Reports described the mood in Brazil as defensive, with the nation feeling "treated as a problem, not a partner" by the US and its signatories. This framing reveals the inherent power imbalance in such declarations, where the US dictates terms and expects compliance, rather than fostering genuine partnership.
Expanding State Repression
The broad definition of "material support" creates a dangerous precedent for criminalizing ordinary citizens and organizations. It extends the reach of state repression, making it easier to target individuals and groups who might inadvertently or intentionally interact with listed entities, or even those engaged in legitimate dissent. Such measures are designed to manage the contradictions of the current economic system by force, rather than addressing the structural issues that give rise to these groups. In unrelated news from Rio, the writer Zuenir Ventura passed away at 95; his wake is scheduled for today, Wednesday 23 September 2026. Ventura, a member of the Brazilian Academy of Letters, was known for his work "1968: O Ano que Não Terminou."