247 - Lieutenant Colonel Marcelo Corbage defended this Friday (31) the police officers who died in the action that left 121 dead in the Penha and Alemão complexes, being the deadliest operation in the history of the state of Rio de Janeiro.

“They saved the lives of other colleagues. It’s time for us to strengthen ourselves. Serving the Military Police, BOPE, is a sacred calling. We are willing to sacrifice our lives for the sake of society. Nobody will stop us,” the officer told Globo News.

The Forensic Medical Institute (IML) of Rio de Janeiro has identified 100 of the 121 fatal victims of Operation Containment. All bodies underwent autopsy, an examination that determines the cause and circumstances of death. However, the expert reports are expected to be completed and released within 10 to 15 business days.

The Public Prosecutor's Office of Rio de Janeiro (MPRJ), through the Deputy Attorney General for Human Rights and Victim Protection (SUBDH), also went to the Afrânio Peixoto Forensic Medical Institute, in the port area of Rio, this Thursday (30). The objective was to carry out an independent investigation and provide assistance to the victims' families during the process of releasing the bodies.

Federal government

The Minister of Justice and Public Security, Ricardo Lewandowski, announced the creation of an emergency office aimed at combating organized crime in the state of Rio de Janeiro. The announcement was made this Wednesday (29), at the Guanabara Palace, after a meeting with Governor Cláudio Castro and other state authorities.

According to Lewandowski, the new structure will serve to streamline cooperation between the federal and state governments, eliminating bureaucratic barriers and integrating the security forces of both levels. The goal is to restore normalcy in the state as quickly as possible."This will be the embryo of what we want to implement in the states with the Public Security Amendment, to combat the scourge that is organized crime," declared the minister.

The office will also include the participation of the Financial Intelligence and Asset Recovery Committee (CIFRA), focused on the decapitalization of criminal factions through financial intelligence, asset recovery, and technical support in money laundering investigations. In addition, the Integrated Task Force to Combat Organized Crime (FICCO), an initiative of the Ministry in partnership with state and federal agencies, will participate.

The minister also reported that spaces have been made available in the federal prison system for the transfer of gang leaders, in addition to reinforcing the contingent of the National Public Security Force and forensic experts.

More reactions

In the National Congress, the president of the Senate, Davi Alcolumbre (União-AP), determined last Tuesday (29) the installation of the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry (CPI) on Organized Crime, after the massacre in Rio.

The United Nations (UN) and other entities criticized the way the police operation against the Comando Vermelho (CV) criminal faction, which originated in the state in the 1970s, was conducted. Currently, the CV has strong economic power and branches in more than 20 Brazilian states.