The number of deaths left by a police operation against a gang dedicated to assaults and cargo theft. It was carried out this Thursday in a favela in Rio de Janeiro and the victims rose to 18, confirmed the Brazilian authorities at a press conference. The same sources assure that the teams of the Militarized and Civil Police "were attacked with bullets in different points of the Complexo".
In a first announcement, only the death of five people had been confirmed: a 50-year-old woman, a resident of the place and who, according to her relatives, died inside a car from a stray bullet; a corporal of the Militarized Police and three suspects.
Nearly 400 soldiers participated in the operation, who entered the Complexo do Alemao, a depressed conglomerate of favelas in the north of Rio, from early hours.
The Rio de Janeiro Public Defender's Office said in a statement that it is closely following the case, which would be one of the most lethal police actions in Rio and in which there are indications of "serious violations of human rights."
During the action the authorities seized a 50 caliber machine gun (capable of shooting down a helicopter), four rifles and two pistols.
This is the second operation in less than ten days in the area, after another action by the uniformed men on July 12 left six dead.
Clashes between the Police and criminal groups that compete for control of drug trafficking are frequent in the most impoverished areas of Rio de Janeiro, punished by violence.
The police operations in Rio de Janeiro have set off the alarms of human rights organizations, which have requested control over the uniformed men.
Data from the Public Security Yearbook indicates that in 2021 more than 6,100 people were killed at the hands of the Police in 2021.
