Conservative leaders get cartels to play nice, but only when they’re in power
Brazil’s possible alliance with the U.S. anti-cartel effort hinges on who’s in charge.
The story
Brazil may join a U.S.-led anti-cartel initiative if Flávio Bolsonaro wins the presidency, as his brother claims. The coalition includes several Latin American nations and targets major criminal groups.
Source: www.foxnews.com
Our reading
Brazil’s possible entry into the U.S.-led anti-cartel coalition is framed as a win for Trump’s strategy, but the real story is that the coalition only gains new members when conservative leaders win elections. Eduardo Bolsonaro, Flávio’s brother, seems to think that the cartels are a problem only when the right people are in power. It’s like saying the moon only exists when you’re looking at it, but with more guns and fewer metaphors. The coalition’s success depends not on the cartels’ behavior, but on the political alignment of the countries involved. If Brazil joins, it’s not because the cartels are suddenly more dangerous, but because the new government is more willing to play along. The real kicker is that the cartels are still out there, doing their thing, while the politicians just switch sides like they’re playing a game of musical chairs with national security.
