Far-right network liquidated in Germany has links to Brazil

Last week, a mega-operation by German police revealed that a far-right network is plotting to seize power in the country. His plans, which many analysts saw as fictitious but others took seriously, included the invasion of the German Parliament, the cessation of power in the country, causing chaos, overthrowing the government, and renegotiating with the victorious powers. World War II from the German borders.

Initially, 25 people were detained and 27 others were under investigation, including a self-proclaimed prince from an aristocratic family, a senior retired military personnel from the Armed Forces, and a judge affiliated with the Alternative für Deutschland party, and a former member of Parliament. .

The network of this group, called the Patriotic Union, spanned several German states and had international connections, directly or indirectly, as far as Brazil.

According to the Bundesamt für Verfassungschutz (BfV), the intelligence service responsible for domestic investigations, the Patriotic Union is part of the Reichsbürger – Citizens of the German Empire movement, a broader movement with around 21,000 active members. However, this movement is not an organization.

In fact, there are countless small organizations scattered across the country under this acronym. Its members are generally male, aged 50 and over, and advocate anti-Jewish ideas along with a nostalgia for the Nazi regime, a cult of weapons, and an apology for political violence in the most radical cases.

The movement gained greater strength and breadth from 2020 as it struggled against the health measures implemented during the Covid-19 pandemic, including vaccination.

Infiltrations into security institutions

One of the biggest concerns of those who have researched the movement is that the movement has infiltrated security agencies, including the Armed Forces and Federal Police. Between 2018 and 2021, BfV investigated 860 cases of suspected far-right activity by members of security bodies, and concluded that 327 of them had positive evidence. However, estimates within BfV assess that the actual number of cases could be nine or ten times higher.

One of the most sensitive cases of infiltration by far-right groups involved the Army’s elite counter-terrorism commander, known as KSK, Kommandos Specialkräfte – Special Forces Commandos. Founded in 1996, its commander was forced to resign in 2003 due to allegations of ties to the German far-right. And in 2020, one in four KSK units was completely dissolved for the same reason.

Connections with Brazil

One of the retired soldiers belonging to the Patriotic Union, who was arrested in a police operation last week, was on vacation in Santa Catarina, Brazil, where he has two companies operating. Other members of the group are affiliated with the North American and international movement known as QAnon, which is present in more than 70 countries today, including Brazil.

Among other conspiracy theories, QAnon advocates the notion that there is and is a conspiracy against former President Donald Trump, and that he is the only leader capable of combating international child trafficking for child prostitution practices.

One of the groups identified with the QAnon campaigns in Brazil is Pugnaculum, which posts on the Internet in favor of President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) and publishes studies in e-books and articles aimed at what he calls “Brazilian patriots”. .