A major police operation in Rio de Janeiro, launched on October 28, 2025, against the Comando Vermelho in the Penha and Alemão complexes, resulted in 121 deaths, making it the deadliest in Brazilian history. Governor Cláudio Castro defended the action as a victory, but relatives and activists protested what they call a massacre, while UN experts demanded an independent investigation. The federal government responded with an emergency office to combat organized crime.
The Operação Contenção, carried out by Rio de Janeiro's Civil and Military Police on October 28, 2025, aimed to dismantle the Comando Vermelho (CV) in the Penha and Alemão complexes. According to state authorities, 121 people died, including four police officers, and 99 were identified by October 31, with 42 having pending arrest warrants and 78 with criminal records such as homicide and drug trafficking. Of the identified, 40 were from other states, including Pará, Amazonas, and Bahia.
Governor Cláudio Castro (PL-RJ) hailed the operation as a success but failed to capture the CV leader in Penha, known as Doca. Right-wing governors, like Tarcísio de Freitas (SP) and Romeu Zema (MG), supported the action, forming a 'peace consortium'. Critics, such as columnist Demétrio Magnoli, called it Castro's 'war', involving summary executions and collateral damage in favelas.
On October 31, a peaceful protest in the Penha Complex, organized by groups like Coalizão Negra por Direitos and Voz das Comunidades, gathered relatives, residents, and PSOL deputies such as Glauber Braga and Tarcísio Motta. Dressed in white, they sang 'Rap da Felicidade' and demanded justice for the victims, labeling the operation as state violence against black and peripheral populations.
President Lula's government was caught off guard, per VEJA columnist Robson Bonin, responding with an 'emergency office' presented by Minister Ricardo Lewandowski to integrate federal and state forces. UN experts demanded an investigation into possible 'illegal killings', citing warrantless home invasions and helicopter gunfire. The OAB-RJ created an observatory to monitor inquiries, and the MPF was barred by the CNMP from oversight, creating tensions with the MPRJ.
On social media, the polarized debate saw an 80% drop in mentions, from 282 million on October 29-30 to 56 million on October 30-31, with support for police and criticism of lethality.