The death toll resulting from a major police crackdown on a notorious gang in Rio de Janeiro has climbed to 119, which includes four police officers, as confirmed by Brazilian authorities on Wednesday. Initially, authorities reported a toll of 60 suspected gang members and four police officers following the operation on Tuesday carried out by 2,500 police and soldiers, leading to clashes in two impoverished neighborhoods of the city.
A total of 113 suspects were apprehended, an increase from the initial 81, according to police spokesperson Felipe Curi during a news briefing. The operation was marked as one of the most violent in recent Brazilian history, prompting human rights organizations to call for investigations into the fatalities.
On Wednesday, Justice Minister Ricardo Lewandowski mentioned that the federal government was not informed in advance about the raids. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was reportedly shocked by the high number of casualties. Lewandowski is planning to hold discussions with local officials in Rio.
The operation involved helicopters and armored vehicles and targeted the infamous Red Command gang in the vast, low-income favelas of Complexo de Alemao and Penha, as per police reports.
The raid took place ahead of Rio hosting the C40 global summit of mayors focusing on climate change next week. This event is part of the preparations for COP30, the United Nations climate summit to be held for ten days in November in the Amazon city of Belem.
‘A significant tragedy’
The United Nations’ human rights body expressed being “horrified” by the lethal police operation and urged for thorough investigations while reminding authorities of their responsibilities under international human rights laws.
César Muñoz, the director of Human Rights Watch in Brazil, described Tuesday’s events as “a significant tragedy” and a “catastrophe.”
“The public prosecutor’s office should initiate its own investigations to clarify the circumstances surrounding each death,” Muñoz stated in a release.
Video clips on social media depicted fire and smoke billowing from the two favelas amid the sounds of gunfire. The city’s Education Department reported the closure of 46 schools across the two neighborhoods, while the nearby Federal University of Rio de Janeiro canceled evening classes and instructed individuals on campus to seek shelter.
Suspected gang members reportedly blocked roads in northern and southeastern Rio in response to the raid, as per local media accounts. Around 70 buses were seized for use in the blockades, resulting in substantial damage, as per the city’s transit organization Rio Onibus.
The Tuesday operation followed a year-long investigation into the criminal group, police mentioned.
Earlier, Castro from the conservative opposition Liberal Party suggested that the federal government should provide more assistance in combating crime, indirectly criticizing Lula’s left-leaning administration.
Gleisi Hoffmann, the liaison of the Lula administration with the parliament, acknowledged the necessity for coordinated actions but highlighted recent efforts against money laundering as an example of the federal government’s initiatives against organized crime.
The Red Command criminal gang, emerging from Rio’s prisons, has been extending its influence in favelas in recent years.
Rio has witnessed deadly police operations for decades. In March 2005, around 29 individuals lost their lives in the city’s Baixada Fluminense region, while in May 2021, 28 fatalities were recorded in the Jacarezinho favel
