🔗 Share this article

The eyewitness

A reporter who documented the results of an extensive law enforcement action in the Brazilian city has recounted how local people came back with badly injured victims of those who had died.

The casualties "kept coming: 25, 30, 35, 40, 45...", the eyewitness described. Among them were security forces.

One of the bodies was found without a head - others were "severely damaged", he said. Many also had evidence of stab wounds.

In excess of 120 victims lost their lives during Tuesday's raid targeting an illegal organization - the most lethal operation Rio has experienced.

The eyewitness explained that he initially learned to the raid early on Tuesday by community members of the Alemão neighbourhood, who sent him messages informing him an armed confrontation was occurring.

The eyewitness went to a local medical facility, where the bodies were being brought.

The eyewitness reported that the police blocked media personnel from accessing the operation zone, where the operation was under way.

"Law enforcement personnel formed a line and said: 'The press are not allowed to pass'."

Nevertheless, the eyewitness, who was raised in the community, explained he managed to gain access into the restricted zone, where he continued through the night.

He reported that evening, community members began to search the mountainous area that separates Penha from the neighboring Alemão community for family members who were unaccounted for after the operation.

Local people living in Penha organized the located casualties in a square - the photographer's images reveal the response of the gathered crowd.

"The violence of what occurred impacted me deeply: the grief of relatives, parents losing consciousness, women carrying children, weeping, angry family members," the photographer recalled.

Bruno Itan

The official of the region declared that the extensive law enforcement effort deploying about 2,500 law enforcement members was aimed at stopping a criminal group referred to as the criminal faction from increasing their control.

Originally, state authorities maintained that sixty individuals along with four officers" lost their lives during the action.

Officials subsequently stated that early calculations shows that 117 "suspects" lost their lives.

Rio's public defender's office, that gives legal support to the poor, has calculated the overall count of casualties as 132.

Based on expert analysis, the criminal organization represents the unique criminal entity which in recent years has managed to increase its control throughout Rio state.

It is generally regarded among the biggest criminal organizations nationally, alongside a rival criminal group, and has a history extending half a century.

According to correspondent Rafael Soares, with extensive experience documenting illegal operations in Rio for years, the gang "operates like a franchise" with local criminal leaders forming part of the gang and becoming "commercial associates".

The criminal group concentrates largely on illegal drug trade, additionally trafficking guns, gold, energy resources, alcohol and tobacco.

According to the authorities, criminal affiliates have substantial firearms and police said that throughout the operation, they faced assaults using drone-delivered explosives.

The official of the state, the political leader, labeled Red Command members as drug terrorists and referred to the law enforcement personnel killed in the raid as brave public servants.

However, the count of fatalities in the operation has come in for criticism from international human rights authorities stating they were "appalled".

During a press briefing the following day, the official justified security actions.

"There was no objective to cause fatalities. We wanted to arrest them all alive," he declared.

He continued that the events had escalated as the individuals fought back: "It occurred of the retaliation they executed and the overwhelming response by those criminals."

The governor additionally stated that the casualties shown by residents in Penha had been "manipulated".

Via a statement on online platforms, he said that particular individuals had been stripped of the camouflage clothing which he claimed they wore "in order to shift blame toward law enforcement".

Felipe Curi of Rio's civil police force additionally stated that tactical gear, body armor, and arms" were taken away from the bodies and displayed evidence appearing to show an individual removing tactical gear {off a corpse