Waack: US sanction on the PCC impacts politics in Brazil

The American government imposed sanctions on two Brazilians and four companies for participating in an international money laundering scheme linked to the PCC. The measures are part of the arsenal of coercive instruments expanded by the Americans when classifying Brazilian criminal organizations as terrorist groups.

The American government had already imposed sanctions on Brazilian government and judicial officials - for political reasons - which were later withdrawn. This Wednesday's sanctions (1) have a broader and more worrying meaning.

They suggest that they are a beginning, not an end in itself. They obey the primacy of what Americans consider to be their national security interests.

Today's sanctions indicate dangers for the Brazilian financial system and the services sector - depending on what Washington interprets the danger posed by the actions of Brazilian criminal groups.

The sanctions applied today place the Brazilian government under diplomatic pressure but also from an electoral political point of view. Extremely concerned about public security, the Brazilian population is in that state of mind of applauding anyone who does anything, while seeing the Lula government as incompetent to combat organized crime.

But let no one be fooled. The American government does not think in terms of helping anyone. He is taking care of what he defines as their interests, their security, it matters very little what those affected by the measures determined by the White House think or say.

Source: CNN