ACR X HAD LTSS FROM ACR Y. TCASII TA RA DSCNT. EVASIVE ACTION TAKEN. SYS ERROR.

Narrative

ACR X CLBING ON THE RICA I DEP (CAPA TRANS); WE REQUESTED DIRECT ATEBO INTXN AFTER SCB VOR. THIS WAS APPROVED AND A CLB FROM FL180 TO FL390 WAS ISSUED. SHORTLY AFTER PASSING THE VOR AND CLBING THROUGH FL31.5 WE RECEIVED A TCASII TA. WITHIN A FEW SECONDS; ATC ADVISED US OF THE 'TFC AT 12 O'CLOCK POS; 10 MI; MAINTAIN FL330'. AT FL330 I SELECTED ALT HOLD AND WE MAINTAINED A TFC WATCH. JUST AFTER WE LEVELED OFF; TCASII ISSUED A RA TO DSND. AS WE INITIATED A DSCNT; THE TFC ACR Y PASSED APPROX 7000 FT TO OUR L WHILE IN A R TURN AT FL330. OUR FIRST TCASII ADVISORY INDICATED THE TFC WAS DSNDING. AFTER OUR LEVEL OFF AND AT THE TIME OF THE RA; THE TFC WAS LEVEL. WE DO NOT KNOW WHETHER THE TFC WAS CLRED TO FL330 OR WAS LEVELED THERE BY ATC FOR TFC. NOR DO WE KNOW THAT THE EVASIVE R TURN THE TFC TOOK WAS ON THEIR OWN INITIATIVE OR ASSIGNED BY ATC; AS THEY WERE COMMUNICATING IN SPANISH OR PORTUGUESE. HOWEVER; FL330 WOULD BE AN APPROPRIATE CRUISE ALT FOR THEIR DIRECTION OF FLT; AND LEVELING US AT FL330 CREATED A DANGEROUS CONFLICT.