‘Largest in the state’s history’: At least 132 killed in Rio police crackdown against drug gangs

At least 132 people were killed in a deadly police raid against drug gangs in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro, the city’s public defender’s office said in a statement on Wednesday (Oct 29), a day after the operation took place. Residents were seen grieving in the streets where dozens of bodies were laid out. Four police officers were also slain in the military-style campaign that involved 2,500 officers.

“The most recent update is 132 dead,” the Rio state public defender’s office, which provides legal assistance to the poor, told AFP.

Condemning the deaths, Justice Minister Ricardo Lewandowski said, “The president is horrified by the number of fatal incidents.”

Described as “the largest in the state’s history” by Governor Claudio Castro, the operation involved taking on Rio’s most powerful criminal organisation, the Comando Vermelho, or Red Command. The raids were carried out at one of the two densely populated neighbourhoods of northern Rio, Penha Complex, and the Alemao Complex, located near Rio’s international airport.

Residents accused the policy of summary killings, saying that some were “murdered in cold blood”.

“There are people who have been executed, many of them shot in the back of the head, shot in the back. This cannot be considered public safety,” said Raul Santiago, a 36-year-old resident and activist.

Lawyer Albino Pereira Neto, who represents three families that lost relatives, told AFP that some bodies had been tied up and some had “burn marks”.

War-like situation in Rio

War-like scenes emerged in the city as armoured vehicles, helicopters and drones were used in the streets of the favelas. Fires erupted around the neighbourhood as police and suspected gang members traded intense gunfire.

The authorities accused the alleged gang members of using buses as barricades and using drones to attack the police personnel with explosives.

“This is not ordinary crime, but narcoterrorism,” Rio state governor Claudio Castro wrote Tuesday on X, where he shared a video from the fighting.

While police raids are common in Rio’s favelas, where drug gangs have a strong presence. However, Tuesday’s operation was much larger in scale and lethality.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said in a statement that it was “horrified”, calling for “swift investigations.”

A delegation from President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s government will travel to Rio on Wednesday for an emergency meeting with Castro.