The Use of Terrorist Tools by Criminal Organizations: The Case of the Brazilian Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC)

The use of guerrilla and terrorist tactics by criminal gangs is not new or rare. However, there is very little research regarding the use of terrorist tools and strategies, such as the construction of narratives and ideology, the use of propaganda, violent communication and psychological warfare, the use of the Internet or even the inclusion of religious references in the rituals of criminal gangs. In this sense, the Brazilian prison gang PCC (First Command of the Capital or Primeiro Comando da Capital, in Portuguese), deemed by many the largest and most dangerous criminal organisation on the continent, presents a unique case that deserves closer investigation. With its evolving sophistication, transnationalization and presence in not only all South American countries but also other continents, there has been considerable debate regarding the best way to classify and define this group. Most approaches have proven to be inadequate to analyse a group which manifests so many stages and facets, depending upon the region of activity and the perspective of the observer. Nevertheless, looking at PCC’s history and evolution during its nearly three decades of existence, one may conclude that the concept of “third-generation gangs” offers particularly useful parameters for analysing the terrorist tools employed by the group, i.e., its: 1) politicisation; 2) sophistication; and 3) internationalisation. The use of these parameters of analysis to study the PCC not only helps shed light on organized crime in the region but also dispels some common clichés regarding the operations of Brazilian criminal groups – which are often viewed, especially when studied by foreigners, in a rather monolithic manner. Based on the notion of the crime-terror nexus, the objectives of this article are two-fold: First, to present the wide range of strategies – normally associated with terrorists – used by the PCC and second, using the parameters of the “third-generation gang” concept, to demonstrate that the Brazilian group has become something bigger and more complex than a conventional criminal organisation.