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Terrorism in Brazil has occurred since at least the 1940s.
The Shindo Renmei were a Japanese-Brazilian terror organization whose attacks were focused on resistance to theJapanese surrender at the end ofWorld War II; attacks were perpetrated against otherJapanese-Brazilians.[1]
According to theBrazilian Federal Police, at least sevenIslamic terror groups operate in Brazil:
These groups operate inside the national territory, and most are also known to operate on theborder of Paraguay and Argentina with Brazil.[2]
During theBrazilian military government from 1964 to 1985, terrorism was a term frequently used by the state. All forms of opposition to the military regime were considered forms of terrorism; opposition members were deemed "terrorists."[2]
Some groups engaged inurban guerrilla attacks against the regime; in a 1969 panflet,ALN members described themselves as ''Guerrillas, terrorists, and robbers, not men who depend on votes from other revolutionaries or whoeve to fulfill their duty to make the revolution.''[3]
During this period groups like theBrazilian Anti-Communist Alliance (taking inspiration in the name and actions of theArgentine Anticommunist Alliance[4].) claimed a ring of bombing attacks against Brazilian Press Association,[5] theOrder of Attorneys of Brazil,[6] the Brazilian Center for Analysis and Planning,[6] Editora Civilização Brasileira[7] and the residence of journalistRoberto Marinho.[6] An incident ofright-wing terrorism known as theRiocentro attack occurred in 1981, perpetrated by a sector of the military dissatisfied with the democratic opening of the regime.
On 21 July 2016, two weeks before the scheduled start of the2016 Summer Olympics, theBrazilian Federal Police busted an Islamic jihadist terrorist ring plotting to wreak havoc in a manner similar to the 1972Munich massacre, but they had rather poor preparation compared to their objectives. 10 people suspected to be allied withISIS were arrested, and two more were on the run.[8][9]
On 2 May 2017, Palestinian migrants threw a homemade bomb atfar-right protesters, leaving several injured inSão Paulo.[10]
On 6 September 2018, theright-wing presidential candidateJair Bolsonaro was stabbed during a political campaign inJuiz de Fora,Minas Gerais.[11]
On 13 March 2019, two former studentsopened fire at a Brazilian school inSuzano,São Paulo. The pair killed at least five teenagers as well as two school officials before committing suicide in an attack that police said was inspired by the 1999Columbine High School Massacre in the United States.[12]
On 2 September 2021, a man who was planning Islamic terrorist attacks was arrested inMaringá.[13]
On 8 November 2023, theFederal Police of Brazil arrested 2 men and carried out 11 search and seizurewarrants in the states ofSão Paulo,Minas Gerais, andBrasília, in an operation against the terrorist groupHezbollah, which was planning attacks onsynagogues in the country.[14]
Several newspapers, includingO Globo,Veja, andFolha de S. Paulo, characterised the2023 invasion of the Brazilian Congress as terrorism.[15][16][17]
On 13 November 2024, a suicide bomber exploded a device in front of theSupreme Federal Court Palace and another one in his car at the National Congress parking lot. TheFederal Police of Brazil and the Bomb Squad released the area and the Forensics Medical Institute removed the corpse only on the next morning.[18][19][20]
On 21 March 2025, a man who had an arsenal of weapons and flags ofISIS andAl Qaeda was arrested inPorto Alegre.[21]
On 3 May 2025, an adult and a teenager who planned to bombLady Gaga's free concert onCopacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro were arrested. The group that planned the attack were organizing onDiscord, targeting children andLGBTQ+ people.[22]
The Brazilian government has four pieces of terrorism legislation pending in Congress:[23]
There is a large concentration of Middle Eastern immigrants in the area near theParaguay, Argentina, andBrazil borders. Some authorities monitoring the area have stated that Brazil should participate more in the international fight against terrorism.[2]
