The Brazilian government's efforts to crack down on organized crime in the city of Rio de Janeiro have been met with skepticism by residents and experts alike. The recent police raid, codenamed "Operation Containment," which was touted as a major operation against the powerful Comando Vermelho (Red Command) gang, has left many questioning its effectiveness.
According to reports, over 120 people, including four police officers, were killed in the raid on October 28. While the governor of Rio de Janeiro state, Claudio Castro, described the operation as a success and seized over 100 rifles from suspects, critics have argued that the numbers do not add up.
Rights groups have slammed the security forces for their actions, describing them as "brutal" and pointing out that the raid did little to loosen the gang's grip on the favelas. Many residents report that life has barely changed since the operation, with armed men still roaming the streets and the bodies of those killed still being removed.
Experts have also raised questions about the operation's goals. According to Professor Carlos Schmidt-Padilla at the University of California, Berkeley, "Early reports stated that the goal of the operation was to capture high-ranking leaders of the Comando Vermelho (CV)," but by one metric, it is fair to say the operation failed.
The raid also highlighted the tight control exerted by the gang over the favelas. Residents reported being charged excessive prices for basic necessities like gas and cable television, and even their clothing was policed by the gang. The gang's grip on everyday life is so strong that even mobile phone use is monitored to prevent users from posting incriminating content online.
Police investigation files have revealed disturbing images of women being subjected to physical punishment for allegedly causing trouble. These reports suggest a culture of violence and control within the gang, which experts say has contributed to its ability to maintain power in the favelas.
The fallout from the raid has seen Governor Castro's approval rating rise to 47%, higher than that of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. However, many are questioning the government's motives, with some accusing them of using the operation as a pretext to crack down on opposition and consolidate power.
As one photographer at the scene put it, "The bodies just kept coming." The true extent of the Comando Vermelho's control over Rio de Janeiro remains unclear, but one thing is certain – more needs to be done to address the root causes of organized crime in the city.
According to reports, over 120 people, including four police officers, were killed in the raid on October 28. While the governor of Rio de Janeiro state, Claudio Castro, described the operation as a success and seized over 100 rifles from suspects, critics have argued that the numbers do not add up.
Rights groups have slammed the security forces for their actions, describing them as "brutal" and pointing out that the raid did little to loosen the gang's grip on the favelas. Many residents report that life has barely changed since the operation, with armed men still roaming the streets and the bodies of those killed still being removed.
Experts have also raised questions about the operation's goals. According to Professor Carlos Schmidt-Padilla at the University of California, Berkeley, "Early reports stated that the goal of the operation was to capture high-ranking leaders of the Comando Vermelho (CV)," but by one metric, it is fair to say the operation failed.
The raid also highlighted the tight control exerted by the gang over the favelas. Residents reported being charged excessive prices for basic necessities like gas and cable television, and even their clothing was policed by the gang. The gang's grip on everyday life is so strong that even mobile phone use is monitored to prevent users from posting incriminating content online.
Police investigation files have revealed disturbing images of women being subjected to physical punishment for allegedly causing trouble. These reports suggest a culture of violence and control within the gang, which experts say has contributed to its ability to maintain power in the favelas.
The fallout from the raid has seen Governor Castro's approval rating rise to 47%, higher than that of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. However, many are questioning the government's motives, with some accusing them of using the operation as a pretext to crack down on opposition and consolidate power.
As one photographer at the scene put it, "The bodies just kept coming." The true extent of the Comando Vermelho's control over Rio de Janeiro remains unclear, but one thing is certain – more needs to be done to address the root causes of organized crime in the city.
120 ppl killed lol that's just insane! and all they got from it was like 100 rifles & a bunch of dead bodies 
i mean what's the point of even calling it an op if ur not gonna capture anyone? 
they're just using this op to silence ppl who oppose them, that's so sus 
and btw, 47% approval rating? lol @ governor castro, how do u get that high after a op like this? 
they're trapped in this cycle of violence & control, it's heartbreaking 
we need to be supporting our local orgs instead of just relying on gov ops 
This whole thing feels like a classic case of "good guys" vs "bad guys" narrative... meanwhile, everyday people in those favelas are still suffering 
What's really going on here? Is it just about taking out the gang leaders or is there something more sinister at play? 
And what's with all these bodies piling up... did we ever really understand the scale of this problem in the first place? 
Those 100 rifles they seized could be worth a lot, maybe even used to create jobs or something... Ugh, I'm so torn. The governor's approval rating going up might just mean more resources for the favelas, but then again, it could also mean they're ignoring the real issues. 
What do we know about these women who were punished by the gang? Was it really that bad, or was it just a cover-up? 
the gang is just taking over everything including everyday stuff like gas and cable tv how can thats be? 
, but is that really a success when innocent lives were lost? And those reports about women getting punished for talking out of turn? Unbelievable 
. We need to talk about what's really going on here, not just spin the numbers 
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...and have you seen those reports of women getting physical punishment from the gang? that's some messed up stuff 
...the fact that they're monitoring phone use and charging exorbitant prices for basic necessities just shows how entrenched the gang is in everyday life...it's not like they're even trying to address the root causes of organized crime, just patching up symptoms with more brutality 
meanwhile, the gangs are still running rampant and no one's really addressing the underlying issues. i mean, we all know crime is fueled by poverty and lack of opportunities... so why not invest in social programs instead of just throwing more cops at it? 
. Like, what really went down? Was it just a bunch of innocent civilians caught in the crossfire or was there something more sinister at play? I mean, those numbers don't add up and the governor's approval rating is like, woah! It's like they're trying to distract us from the real issues here.
. But what really gets me is that it's all about maintaining power and control over the favelas. It's like, we're just pawns in their game, right? I'm not buying the whole "combating organized crime" narrative, there's gotta be more to it than that.
. The numbers just don't add up, you know? Like, if 120 people are killed and it's supposed to be some major win, that's crazy 
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. I think most people would agree with experts that this operation was more about consolidating power than actually tackling organized crime 
. We need to see some real change here, not just PR spin 
. That's not just a symptom of organized crime, that's a recipe for disaster 
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. But one thing is for sure – more needs to be done to address the root causes of organized crime in Rio de Janeiro 
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. It sounds like we're dealing with a gang culture that's way more entrenched than we thought.
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so i was thinkin, its crazy how these governments just keep crackin down on people without really gettin at the root of the issue lol! 
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. we need to find ways to address the root causes of organized crime and not just keep using the same old tactics lol! 
. And don't even get me started on the reports of women being punished physically... it's like, what kind of operation are we talking about here? 
thats crazy 
and dont even get me started on the human rights abuses 
like no one cares about the favelas ppl living there 
they just wanna be left alone but noooo 
. The way they're handling these police raids just doesn't add up 
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