One day after the deadliest police operation in Brazil's history, the country is gathering its first certainties and asking questions about this action against the Comando Vermelho drug group in Rio de Janeiro's favelas.
With an official death toll of 119 (the Globo newspaper reported 121), of which four were police officers, the mega-operation in the poor neighborhoods of Alemao and Penha showed the most violent side of the Brazilian postal city.
Here's a recap of what we know so far.
Target: Comando Vermelho
The so-called"Operation Containment" sought to weaken the Comando Vermelho, Rio's main criminal group and the one that has expanded the most in recent years, according to authorities.
Security forces invaded the favela complexes of Alemao and Penha, in the north of the city, considered central bases of the Comando.
This organization recently surpassed the militias (paramilitary groups) in its territorial reach, although the hegemony of organized crime in Rio remains in dispute, according to experts.
Deaths and arrests
The state government has so far reported 119 deaths (although local media reported 121), but the Public Defender's Office indicated 132, and noted that the number could be even higher. Authorities in Rio de Janeiro also reported 113 arrests, including 10 teenagers. In total, 91 rifles were confiscated.
Weapons seized by police during Tuesday's operation in two favelas in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Photo: REUTERS
"A large quantity of drugs was also seized," Governor Claudio Castro said Tuesday. However, the amount and the substances have not yet been specified.
Rio's and Brazil's deadliest operation
This police operation was the deadliest in Brazilian history, surpassing the 111 deaths left by the Carandiru massacre of 1992, when security forces executed prisoners in a jail.
The second and third deadliest operations in the city occurred in 2021 and 2022, in the communities of Jacarezinho and Vila Cruzeiro, with 28 and 25 deaths respectively.
The conservative Castro was also in power then.
President Lula da Silva, on the sidelines
It was carried out"without the knowledge of the federal government" of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Justice Minister Ricardo Lewandowski said Wednesday.
What remains to be known
For now, the identity of the dead is unknown, so it is not known whether or not they were all suspects wanted with a court order.
The identities of the vast majority of those arrested were also not disclosed, making it impossible to know the level of impact suffered by the Comando Vermelho structure.
According to Brazilian media, one of those captured was Thiago"Belao" do Nascimento Mendes, identified as a henchman of"Doca" Alves de Andrade, the alleged head of the Comando Vermelho in the region, who managed to escape.
Residents are denouncing"executions," and the Brazilian prosecutor's office has demanded details from Governor Castro about the operation to determine whether the police action was in accordance with the law.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for an"immediate" investigation into what happened.
As Rio de Janeiro tries to return to calm, its inhabitants wonder if there will be further outbreaks of violence in the coming days.
Source: AFP
