🔗 Share this article

The eyewitness

An eyewitness who witnessed the aftermath of a massive security raid in Rio de Janeiro has recounted how local people brought back badly injured victims of people who lost their lives.

The bodies "kept coming: 25, 30, 35, 40, 45...", the eyewitness described. They included those of police officers.

One individual was found without a head - others were "completely mutilated", he explained. Many also had evidence of knife injuries.

More than 120 people lost their lives during the security action targeting an illegal organization - the deadliest such raid in the city.

Bruno Itan stated that residents first notified him about the operation early on Tuesday by local people of the Alemão neighbourhood, who sent him messages alerting him there was a shoot-out.

The photographer made his way to the healthcare center, where the victims were being brought.

The photographer stated that security forces stopped members of the press from going into the Penha neighborhood, where the security measures were occurring.

"Police officers established a perimeter and announced: 'Journalists are not allowed to pass'."

But Itan, who was raised in that neighborhood, stated he was able to enter into the cordoned-off area, where he stayed through the night.

He described that evening, area inhabitants began to search the elevated terrain which divides the community of Penha and the nearby Alemão neighbourhood for family members who had been missing following the security action.

Residents living in Penha organized the discovered victims in an open area - the documented evidence display the emotions of the gathered crowd.

"The violence of what occurred affected me deeply: the pain of the families, mothers fainting, pregnant wives, weeping, furious relatives," the photographer recalled.

The eyewitness

The official of the state declared that the massive police operation involving around 2,500 security personnel was designed to halting a gang referred to as Red Command from increasing their control.

Originally, state authorities maintained that sixty alleged criminals along with four officers" had been killed in the operation.

They have since said that their "preliminary" count shows that 117 individuals were fatally injured.

The legal assistance organization, that gives legal support to the poor, has calculated the final tally of fatalities as 132.

Per investigative findings, the criminal organization represents the unique criminal entity that in the past few years has succeeded to expand its territory across the region.

It is generally regarded as a major illegal faction nationally, alongside another major gang, featuring a timeline extending half a century.

Based on reporter a specialist, who has long reported on crime in Rio extensively, Red Command "works as a system" with area gang leaders joining the organization and serving as "operational allies".

The organization concentrates largely on illegal drug trade, but also smuggles weapons, valuable minerals, petroleum products, liquor smoking products.

Based on official reports, gang members have substantial firearms and officials reported that during the raid, they came under attack via weaponized unmanned aircraft.

The official of the state, the political leader, labeled Red Command members as drug terrorists and called the security forces who died during the operation as "heroes".

Nevertheless, the total of casualties in the operation has received condemnation from international human rights authorities saying it was "horrified".

During a press briefing the next day, the official supported law enforcement.

"We did not plan to result in deaths. We wanted to take suspects into custody without harm," he stated.

He further explained that the events worsened as the individuals had retaliated: "It resulted of the retaliation they executed and the excessive violence from the gang members."

The official additionally stated that the casualties presented by community members in the area had been "manipulated".

In a post through digital channels, he said that certain victims had been removed of the camouflage clothing he said they had been wearing "to redirect responsibility to security forces".

A law enforcement representative from the police department further reported that tactical gear, vests, and weapons" had been removed from the bodies and presented video apparently demonstrating a man removing tactical gear {off a corpse