rio deโฃ Janeiro Reels After Deadly Policeโข operation Leaves โฃOver โ130 Dead
A recent police operation in Rio de Janeiro โhas resulted in a significant loss โขof life, sparking โoutrageโข and calls for examination.โข As of Wednesday, authorities have confirmed 119โ deaths, while the Public Defender’s โฃoffice reports at โขleast 132 fatalities. The operation, led byโข Rio State Governor Claudio Castro, anโ ally of formerโค far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, targeted Comando Vermelho, a powerful criminal organizationโฃ with roots dating back โtoโ the 1970s.
The operation led โขto 113 arrests and the seizure of 91 assault โrifles โand a “large quantity of drugs.” It has already surpassed the 1992โค Carandiru massacre, where โ111 inmates โwere killed during โคaโฃ prison riot intervention near Sao Paulo, in terms of death toll.Previous large-scale โoperations in โRio’s favelas in 2021 (Jacarezinho -โฃ 28 deaths) and 2022โฃ (Vila Cruzeiro – โ25 deaths) โขalso resulted in significant casualties. Governor โCastro has deemed Tuesday’s operation a “success.”
The federal government,under President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva,was reportedly unaware of โขthe operation’s planning and โexecution.โ Lula expressed being “stunned” by the number of deaths.
Concerns are mounting over a lack of clarity, as the โขidentities of most ofโข those โkilled and โขarrested remain undisclosed, raising questions about weather those killed were subject โtoโฃ judicial warrants. Thiago “Belao” do Nascimento โขMendes, allegedly the right-hand man of a key comandoโ Vermelho leader, was among those arrested, while the alleged โleader, “Doca” Alves de Andrade,โ remains at large.
The Brazilian Supreme Court has scheduled a hearing โขfor Governor Castro next Monday to provide “detailed information” about โฃthe operation. UN Secretary-General Antonio โคguterres has called forโ a prompt investigation into the events. Residents have โreported alleged “executions.”
