The death toll is still rising in the aftermath of a major security operation against a local drug gang in Rio de Janeiro (RJ).
The count is now confirmed to reach at least 132 suspected criminals affiliated with the Comando Vermelho (CV, Red Command) gang, who authorities assessed to retain at least 70% control of the local gang territory and the hotly contested drug trade in the surrounding area.
On Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2,500 civil and military police personnel from the elite Rio para-military group, B.O.P.E., launched a major offensive throughout the Alemão and Penha complexes in the north zone of the city to carry out 51 warrants pertaining to known suspects involved in the illicit drug trade.
The operation resulted in the death of over 130 suspected criminals, including two officers, two civil and two military, who were involved in the massive operation.
The operation also resulted in the recovery of over 100 AK/AR assault-style rifles, among other weapons, including homemade drones and improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
On Wednesday, the bodies of suspected gang members were still being recovered in the surrounding area called Serra da Misericórdia, a refuge where the suspected members of the CV faction took refuge in the midst of fierce firefights with advancing security forces.
Serra da Misericórdia, a hilltop wooded impasse that connects the Alemão and Penha complexes – where much of the drug trafficking activity occurs – was also used as a headquarters for the CV to evade detection by security forces conducting surveillance into the favelas below.
The issue over security, social marginalization, and the use of military-grade equipment on local “bandits” began to take shape following the operation.
Demonstrations began to erupt in the favelas in the early afternoon on Tuesday, protesting the local state government of Cláudio Bomfim de Castro, who authorized the operation. Family members those killed by state security forces unfurled a banner that labeled the state governor an “ASSASSIN”.
The United Nations also stirred further controversy in Brazil when its Human Rights Commission issued a statement criticizing the state’s actions, stating that the organization was “horrified” by the local government’s actions against residents.
Members of the ruling government of left-wing President Lula da Silva condemned the use of force against the “bandits” and encouraged the local government to approach the rising criminal elements with an eye towards social reform, rather than deadly violence.
The local state government of Rio de Janeiro, at odds with the federal government of President Lula da Silva, has taken a hard line on crime in favor of cracking down on the criminal drug trafficking element, which it considers a “security threat” to other local residents.
