Justice Alexandre de Moraes, a magistrate of Brazil's Supreme Federal Court (STF), ordered on Wednesday that the governor of Rio de Janeiro, Cláudio Castro, appear on November 3 to provide explanations about the recent police operation directed against one of the country's main criminal organizations, the Comando Vermelho.
The police operation, carried out in the impoverished neighborhoods of Alemão and Penha, has left between 119 and 132 dead, according to various sources, making it the deadliest raid in Brazil's recent history. The outcome of the operation, as well as the institutional and social response, has generated intense concern both nationally and internationally regarding the use of force, respect for human rights, and the transparency of the procedures employed.
The hearing, which will take place in Rio de Janeiro, was scheduled to analyze the details of the so-called “Operation Containment”, including the level of force used, the number of personnel involved, the detailed report of victims, as well as the measures taken to assist those affected, as detailed by Agencia Brasil.
This request stems from a previous ruling by the STF, which established strict rules for police raids in favelas, with the goal of preventing human rights violations during such operations. The STF seeks to determine precisely whether the state government complied with the protocols and whether the intervention adhered to the guidelines issued by the court.
The Rio de Janeiro Public Defender's Office reported at least 132 deaths throughout the day as a result of the large-scale operation, a figure that includes civilians and, among them, four police officers. Meanwhile, the state police maintain their estimate of 119 deaths and have reported 113 arrests, including 10 teenagers. Ninety-one rifles and an unspecified quantity of drugs were also confiscated, according to statements by Governor Castro. To date, neither the quantity nor the type of substances seized has been officially specified.
According to Justice De Moraes, the request for clarification encompasses both the official number of dead and wounded, as well as the procedures deployed during the raid and the assistance provided to the victims. The STF's decision aligns with a growing concern about compliance with international human rights standards.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres, through his spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, conveyed his “deep concern over the high number of deaths that occurred yesterday during the police operation in the favelas” and reiterated that “the use of force in police operations must comply with international human rights law and international standards.” He also urged Brazilian authorities to launch an immediate investigation into the incident.
This operation surpassed the record for lethality set by the Carandiru massacre in 1992, which resulted in 111 deaths. The most violent interventions in Rio de Janeiro favelas occurred in 2021 and 2022, in the communities of Jacarezinho and Vila Cruzeiro, with 28 and 25 deaths respectively; all during the Castro administration.
The main objective of the recent operation was to weaken Comando Vermelho, a criminal group that has expanded significantly in the last decade and whose influence has displaced paramilitary militias in parts of the city, according to official sources. Security forces entered the favela complexes of Alemão and Penha—considered strongholds of the group—to carry out arrests and dismantle criminal infrastructure. Among those arrested, local media indicate that one was Thiago “Belão” do Nascimento Mendes, identified as a close associate of “Doca” Alves de Andrade, the alleged regional leader of Comando Vermelho, although the latter managed to escape.
However, the majority of those killed and detained remain unidentified, making it impossible to know the extent to which the organization's hierarchical structure has been damaged. The lack of transparency in the disclosure of identities has been questioned by civil society and human rights organizations, which also denounced the alleged existence of summary executions during the operation.
Brazil's Justice Minister, Ricardo Lewandowski, questioned the legality of the police action and stated that President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was"terrified" by the high number of victims and "surprised" by the lack of prior communication about the operation, which was carried out entirely under the auspices of the state government headed by Castro, an ally of former President Jair Bolsonaro. Lewandowski reiterated that the federal administration was not informed until after the events.
Concern about potential outbreaks of violence persists among the population of Rio de Janeiro as they await the opening of the judicial investigation and the eventual determination of responsibility. Residents of the affected communities and the Brazilian public prosecutor's office are demanding greater transparency to clarify whether the police deployment complied with national and international regulations. The crisis exposes the conflict between citizen security and the legal limits of state intervention, with repercussions that extend to both fundamental rights and public security policies in Brazil.
