Overview
- The death toll remains disputed, with state authorities reporting at least 119 fatalities including four police officers, while the Public Defender’s Office counts no fewer than 132.
- Roughly 2,500 officers, helicopters, 32 armored vehicles and demolition equipment targeted the Comando Vermelho in the Complexo da Penha and Complexo do Alemão.
- Residents recovered and displayed dozens of bodies and lawyers allege extrajudicial killings, claims that remain unproven but are central to demands for independent investigations.
- The UN human rights office said it was horrified and more than 30 NGOs urged swift, independent inquiries as Brazil’s Supreme Court justice requested explanations from the Rio governor.
- Governor Claudio Castro called the raid a success against what he labeled narcoterrorism, while schools and health services in affected areas were shut and transport was heavily disrupted.