Overview
- Rio’s public defender reports 132 deaths after a 2,500-strong raid targeting the Comando Vermelho in the Penha and Alemão complexes, far above initial state figures.
- Authorities say the operation yielded more than 80 arrests, roughly 90 seized rifles and large drug hauls, while the governor defends the action as a fight against “narco‑terrorism.”
- Brazil’s Supreme Court ordered Governor Cláudio Castro to explain the operation at a hearing, and the UN human rights office called for swift, independent investigations.
- Residents staged protests and displayed rows of bodies, with activists alleging execution-style killings, which police deny, saying most clashes occurred in nearby wooded areas.
- Gun battles disrupted daily life as suspected gang members blocked roads and commandeered buses, prompting school and university closures across affected neighborhoods.