Key Takeaways
- 64 fatalities in Rio’s deadliest police operation targeting Comando Vermelho gang
- Operation involved 2,500 security personnel across favela complexes near international airport
- Timing coincides with city preparing to host major climate summits including C40 and Earthshot Prize
At least 64 people were killed during a massive police raid in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday, marking the city’s most lethal police operation ever conducted. The operation targeted the powerful Comando Vermelho gang just days before Rio hosts high-profile international climate conferences.
Operation Details and Scale
Rio Governor Claudio Castro confirmed the death toll, which included four police officers, was more than double the previous record for police operations. The governor stated on social media that authorities “stand firm confronting narcoterrorism” in an operation involving 2,500 security personnel across the Alemao and Penha favela complexes near the city’s international airport.
Police released footage showing suspects using drones armed with grenades against officers and armed men fleeing into forested areas. After intense fighting subsided, special operations units rounded up dozens of shirtless men while sobbing family members gathered outside hospitals attending to the injured.
Timing with International Events
The raid comes as Rio prepares to host the C40 global summit of mayors tackling climate change and Prince William’s Earthshot Prize ceremony next week, featuring celebrities including Kylie Minogue and Sebastian Vettel. These events are part of the lead-up to COP30, the United Nations climate summit scheduled for November in Belem.
Police have frequently conducted large-scale operations against criminal groups ahead of major international events in Rio, which previously hosted the 2016 Olympics, 2024 G20 summit, and BRICS summit in July.
Government Response and Criticism
Justice Minister Ricardo Lewandowski revealed the federal government had not received any request for support from state authorities before what he described as the “bloody” operation, learning about developments through media reports.
Governor Castro confirmed 81 arrests as authorities executed 250 arrest and search warrants targeting alleged drug kingpins and money laundering operations. The clashes disrupted schools, medical facilities, bus routes, and traffic across multiple neighborhoods.
However, civil society groups condemned the heavy casualties. Carolina Ricardo, executive director of security think tank Sou da Paz, called the operation a tragedy, stating: “This is a completely failed approach, because it does not actually target the links in the drug production chain.”
