Rio de Janeiro’s favela communities are mourning after a week of tragedy. A police operation, described as a “war on drug traffickers” has left at least 132 people dead, making it one of the bloodiest clashes in Brazilian history. Waiting until the early hours of the morning, law enforcement executed an operation. Their stated aim was to destroy the regional drug king pin known as the Red Command. The international response to the tragedy has coined the scandal, angering and horrifying human rights activists, residents, and international organizations.
On a day that many described as unprecedented, lawyer Flávia Pinheiro Fróes witnessed a scene of devastation she had never encountered before. “In 30 years working [in the favelas] this is the greatest act of savagery, the biggest massacre I have seen,” she stated, encapsulating the horror felt by many in the community.
Erivelton Vidal Correia, head of the local residents’ association, recalled a terrifying experience. He recounted how, working single-mindedly, he had personally brought down 53 bodies, putting an exclamation point on the wave of horror that had descended. “We didn’t believe them. We never believed it would happen,” Correia lamented, reflecting the disbelief and shock that permeated the area.
Single mom Cida Santana was just getting home from work in São Paulo when she got a troubling text from her son Fabio. He explained to her that he had been shot in the foot and was attempting to surrender to the police. Santana described the events as “a slaughter, not an operation. They came here to kill,” expressing her anguish over the loss of life and her concern for her son’s safety.
An overwhelming 2,500 police was then synchronized to open a pre-dawn military-style assault. They specifically zeroed in on the Alemão and Penha favelas, neighborhoods in which violence has historically been a constant inconvenience to everyday life. Officials said that, judging by their profile, the victims would be part of the organization Red Command. With the unprecedented killing of 4 Americans, we questioned the tactics used to execute the raid.
Augusto, a 50-year-old resident, voiced a sentiment echoed by many in the community: “We don’t want war. We want peace.” His words hit home for most mourners as they converged to pay tribute to those who perished in this heartbreaking calamity. Edmar Augusto, a local priest, sprinkled holy water over the bodies of young men, offering a somber blessing amid grief. “So many families are crying. I want to cry with them. Society cannot stay silent,” he remarked, calling for unity in the face of such violence.
Antônio Carlos Costa, a high-profile church leader and human rights advocacy organizer, is one of those calling for urgent action. He calls on national leaders to immediately suspend Rio’s Governor Cláudio Castro. Costa’s demand expresses the worsening impatience with state responses to violence in favelas. In response, Governor Castro condemned the operation, arguing that it was necessary to counter organized crime. Yet, his refusal triggered a second wave of shock—and anger—from civic leaders and residents.
The UN human rights office responded with horror at the latest spate of killings. On the ground, they lifted up troubling questions about the police’s excessive use of force during operations targeting marginalized communities. The growing death toll has led to comparisons with Brazil’s Carandiru prison massacre. In 1992, a state police raid resulted in the murder of 111 inmates.
Cláudia Silva, another resident victimized by the violence, condemned what she called “a genocide.” Her comments reflect an increasing frustration among residents that’s quickly becoming a trend. All of them believe that bolder measures are needed to protect their constituents from aggressive policing policies. They can’t come in here and kill all the rats,” she said. Her testimony brought to light the unpredictable and indiscriminate nature of police violence.
Not only activists, but mourners who have come to pay their respects to the lives lost, including activist Raull Santiago, have described their sadness and disbelief. Santiago’s response to the landing of another hold full of dead bodies. Both for the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, this is simply unthinkable and inexpressible at the tragedy. The outpouring of grief and anger among residents indicates that this incident may serve as a turning point in their fight for justice and peace.