O crime organizado nas Relações Internacionais: estudo de caso sobre o Primeiro Comando Central (PCC)

Abstract

This article examines the rise of the Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) as a paradigm of transnational organized crime, analyzing its evolution from its founding within Brazil's prison system in 1993 to its current role in international drug trafficking. The study demonstrates how the PCC developed by exploiting three key state vulnerabilities: (1) chronic deficiencies in the penitentiary system (overcrowding, violence, and lack of effective control); (2) socioeconomic marginalization in urban peripheries; and (3) porous borders and financial institutions. Through documentary analysis and historical review, the research reveals the PCC's organizational mechanisms - from its internal statutes and rigid hierarchy to sophisticated money laundering schemes (as detailed in COAF case studies). The conclusion emphasizes that effectively combating the PCC requires multifaceted approaches combining institutional strengthening, social inclusion policies, and international cooperation, with special attention to the structural roots that enabled its consolidation.