And police operation in a favela of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, was transformed this Thursday into a bloody confrontation between criminals and agents that left at least 18 muertosas confirmed by the Brazilian authorities in a press conference.
In a first announcement, five fatalities had been reported: a corporal from the Militarized Police, three suspects and a 50-year-old woman who was a resident of the area and who, according to her relatives, died inside a car when she received a bullet. loss.
As the hours passed, they reported another 13 dead suspects, bringing the final figure to 18. This is the third deadliest police operation in Rio de Janeiro in less than 14 months.
For its part, the Rio de Janeiro Public Defender’s Office said in a statement that it is closely following the case and that there are indications of “serious human rights violations.”
Bloody police operation in a favela in Rio de Janeiro left 18 dead. Photo: AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo.
The action, which took place in the Alemao complex, a depressed conglomerate of favelas, in the north of the city, sought to find the members of a gang dedicated to bank robbery and car theft and cargo vehicles.
It involved about 400 agents supported by four aircraft and 10 armored vehicles that, according to the authorities, “were shot at at different points.
From the beginning of the afternoon, witnesses to the operation published videos and photographs on social networks showing how several bodies wrapped in sheets were carried by neighbors.
Bloody police operation in a favela in Rio de Janeiro left 18 dead. Photo: AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo.
However, only until late at night did the authorities confirm that almost twenty people had died.
The magnitude of the events set off alerts from the Public Defender’s Office and other human rights organizations that are following the events “with concern.”
According to the Ombudsman of Rio de Janeiro, the events that occurred this Thursday are similar to those that happened a little over a year ago in Jacarezinho, where a uniformed officer also died in the middle of the operation.
Bloody police operation in a favela in Rio de Janeiro left 18 dead. Photo: EFE/André Coelho
“It is clear that if there are criticisms and complaints about police action, they will be investigated, but what we are saying is that criminals are forcing part of the population to cause disorder during police action,” said Fabrício Oliveira, of the Civil Police. .
Jair Bolsonaro supported the actions of the Police
The actions of the uniformed men were applauded by the Government of Rio de Janeiro and the President of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, who lamented the death of the police corporal.
In his weekly broadcast via social networks, Bolsonaro, a retired Army captain, also charged against the Supreme Court for a ruling that restricted police actions in Rio’s favelas during the coronavirus pandemic.
“The more protected, the more armed (criminal groups) are,” denounced the far-right president.
Bloody police operation in a favela in Rio de Janeiro left 18 dead. Photo: Xinhua/Jose Lucena.
Clashes between the Police and criminal groups that dispute the control of drug trafficking are frequent in the most impoverished areas of Rio de Janeiro, punished by violence.
Data from the Public Security Yearbook indicates that in 2021 more than 6,100 people died at the hands of the Police.
With information from EFE.