Action is considered the largest in the history of the State and mobilizes civil and military police and takes place in several communities dominated by the faction
A mega police operation carried out this Tuesday (28) against Comando Vermelho resulted in at least 60 deaths, according to preliminary information from security forces. The action, considered one of the largest in the state’s history, mobilizes civil and military police and takes place in several communities dominated by the faction.
The episode reignited the debate about the worsening of violence in Rio and the lack of coordination between the state and federal governments. The governor stated that the state did not receive support from the Union in the operation, while the Ministry of Justice released a statement saying that the federal government “does act” in combating organized crime in the region.
Journalist Eliseu Caetano, who has worked for years covering police cases in Rio, classified the situation as “an undeclared civil war”. He reported that he left Brazil more than a decade ago precisely because of insecurity and criticized the normalization of violence: “It cannot be normal to leave home without knowing if you will return. Rio is experiencing a scenario in which drug trafficking acts with the same firepower as the State. This is not normal and should not be treated as routine”, he stated.
Commentator Diego Tavares, a public security specialist, highlighted that the country is facing a scenario of urban warfare, with drug traffickers using drones and grenades against police forces. For him, the problem is not restricted to Rio: “These groups control entire parts of the national territory, where the Constitution is no longer valid. Organized crime operates as a parallel power”, he said.
Tavares also defended integrated intelligence actions and financial suffocation by the factions, pointing out that organizations such as the PCC and Comando Vermelho move billions of reais through illegal and legal activities, including gas stations, mining and even shell companies. The commentator also criticized the so-called Security PEC, proposed by the federal government, which aims to centralize powers to combat organized crime in the Union. According to him, the measure is “ineffective” and does not solve the problem: “A law on paper does not combat trafficking. What we need is real cooperation between states, technology and a focus on results. While managers argue, it is the population who bleeds.”
