War scene shocks Rio de Janeiro the day after the most lethal police operation in the state’s history; number of victims may be even higher than officially disclosed
This Wednesday morning (29) in Complexo da Penha, North Zone of , was marked by a desolate scenario. Residents of the community transported dozens of bodies to Praça São Lucas, one day after the region was the scene of the most lethal police operation ever recorded in the state. The victims, according to reports, were found in a forested area in Serra da Misericórdia, the site of intense clashes the day before.
Operation Containment was launched on Tuesday (28) in the Penha and Alemão complexes, with the aim of serving arrest warrants against members of a criminal faction. The official balance released by the state government points to 64 deaths, including four police officers. However, there is still no confirmation whether the bodies taken to the square are included in this count, which could drastically increase the total number of victims of the operation.
During the early hours of the morning, the residents themselves removed the bodies from the forest, using pickup trucks and other improvised means to take them to the square. At the scene, a long line of bodies, covered by tarpaulins and sheets, was formed, while family and friends approached in search of information and for the difficult task of recognition. The atmosphere was one of profound silence and consternation, contrasting with the sound of gunshots and explosions that dominated the region the previous day.
Activists and community leaders who are monitoring the situation denounce what they classify as a “massacre”. At the request of family members, the bodies were shown to the press before being covered again, as a way of recording the violence of the incident. The community is now awaiting the arrival of the Legal Medical Institute (IML) for the removal and official identification of the victims.
The mega-operation, which mobilized around 2,500 Civil and Military police officers, also resulted in the arrest of 81 people and the seizure of 42 rifles. The episode generated a public security crisis in Rio, leading to closures of important roads and impacting public transport. The city entered the “risk of high-impact occurrence” stage. In response to the crisis, the president called an emergency meeting with ministers to discuss the security situation in Rio de Janeiro.
