PCC in the spotlight as Brazil clamps down on crime networks amid raids and tensions with US labels—Latin America’s largest criminal org.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has met President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday. They have held private talks and a working lunch, agreed to set up trade and security talks, and have established a working group to negotiate tariffs, critical minerals and organised crime cooperation.
The United States has reaffirmed support to its Latin American allies amid ongoing protests in Bolivia as President Paz reshuffles his cabinet and faces strong domestic opposition. Washington has linked regional security to counter-narcotics networks and expanded its hemispheric involvement through the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition (A3C). Protests continue as Bolivian authorities deploy measures to restore order.
U.S. designates Brazil's two largest criminal gangs as terrorist organizations, a move that has drawn Brazil's government into a debate over sovereignty and potential intervention. The designation follows political pressure ahead of October elections and has sparked pushback from Lula's administration, which warns of risks to information sharing and internal security cooperation.
Abelardo De La Espriella has won Colombia's presidential runoff with 49.66% against Iván Cepeda's 48.70%, according to the national registrar's tally of nearly 100% of ballots. Cepeda is contesting roughly 33,000 ballot boxes and has called for a ballot-by-ballot verification. De La Espriella has pledged security crackdowns, to revive oil production and to cut the size of the state.
Colombia, Peru and Brazil are moving right in a regional shift that could reshape how the Amazon is managed. De la Espriella in Colombia has secured a narrow win, while Peru is poised to elect Fujimori. Brazil faces a high-stakes election that could redefine environmental policy amid deforestation concerns.