In a sweeping operation targeting the notorious Red Command drug-trafficking gang, approximately 2,500 Brazilian police and military personnel descended upon the impoverished favelas of Complexo de Alemao and Penha in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday. The raid, described as one of the most violent in Brazil’s recent history, resulted in the deaths of at least 60 suspects and four police officers, with 81 arrests made. Authorities seized 93 rifles and over half a ton of drugs during the operation, which involved helicopters and armored vehicles. Rio’s state Governor Claudio Castro hailed the raid as the largest of its kind in the city’s history, asserting that those killed had resisted police action. However, the operation drew sharp criticism from human rights organizations, with the United Nations expressing horror and calling for thorough investigations into the deaths. César Muñoz of Human Rights Watch labeled the events a “huge tragedy” and urged the public prosecutor’s office to investigate each death. Social media footage depicted scenes of chaos, with fire and smoke rising from the favelas as gunfire echoed. The raid disrupted daily life, forcing the closure of 46 schools and prompting the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro to cancel night classes. In response, suspected gang members blocked roads and commandeered at least 70 buses, causing significant damage. The operation followed a year-long investigation into the Red Command, which has expanded its control over Rio’s favelas in recent years. While Governor Castro criticized the federal government for insufficient support in combating crime, Gleisi Hoffmann, a representative of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s administration, highlighted recent federal efforts against organized crime, including a crackdown on money laundering. Sociologist Luis Flavio Sapori criticized the operation’s lack of strategic depth, arguing that such raids fail to target the masterminds of criminal organizations and instead result in the deaths of replaceable underlings. The Marielle Franco Institute, a nonprofit advocating for favela residents’ rights, condemned the operation as a “policy of extermination” that endangers the lives of Black and poor communities.
Huge Brazilian raid on Rio gang leaves at least 64 people dead and 81 under arrest
