The operation launched by the Rio de Janeiro government on Tuesday (28) against the Red Command faction drew international attention due to the dozens of deaths. Officially, there are 64 fatalities—including four police officers—but the final numbers are expected to exceed 100. Other countries and international entities have also spoken out in response to the high level of lethality.
The UN (United Nations) posted late last night on its profile on X (formerly Twitter), stating: “Brazil: We are horrified by the ongoing police operation in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, which has already resulted in the deaths of more than 60 people, including four police officers. This lethal operation reinforces the trend of extremely fatal consequences from police actions in Brazil’s marginalized communities. We remind the authorities of their obligations under international human rights law and urge prompt and effective investigations”.
The British newspaper The Guardian published an article titled: “Brazil: At Least 64 Dead in Rio de Janeiro’s Most Violent Day Amid Police Raids”.
It continued: “The operation—the deadliest in Rio’s history—began in the early hours and involved intense shootouts around the Alemão and Penha favelas, home to about 300,000 people.” And added: “Terrible photos of some of the dead young men spread across social media”.
Shootouts
The Spanish newspaper El País stated in its report on the operation that “Rio de Janeiro is experiencing a day of colossal chaos and intense shootouts due to a police action against organized crime that is already the deadliest in the history of the Brazilian city”.
Le Figaro, a major French newspaper, reports in its article that there is much “contestation over the effectiveness of these large-scale police operations in Rio de Janeiro; however, they are common in the city”.
The New York Times described the police action as “the deadliest in Rio’s history, with four police officers killed and at least 60 people dead. It was an attack on ‘narco-terrorists,’ said the state governor”.
The Argentine newspaper Clarín reproduced a post from a Brazilian and headlined on its site: “It’s not Gaza, it’s Rio”.
The official death toll is expected to rise in the coming hours of this Wednesday (29). More than 50 bodies have already been handed over to authorities by the local population.
Source: brasil247.com