Rio de Janeiro Governor Calls Operation with 121 Deaths a 'Success'; Families Describe It as a Massacre - Folha de S.Paulo

The Rio de Janeiro state government confirmed on Wednesday (29) that Operation Containment, carried out on Tuesday in the capital, resulted in 121 deaths and 113 arrests. Despite being the deadliest police action ever recorded in Brazil, Governor Cláudio Castro described the outcome as "a success," claiming the operation had preserved residents’ lives.

In Vila Cruzeiro, in Rio’s north zone, dozens of bodies were found by residents in wooded areas. Among them was Wellington Brito, 21, found by his own mother with his wrists tied, according to her account. "They let my son die," said Taua Brito.

In another case, manicurist Beatriz Nolasco said she found the body of her 19-year-old nephew, Yago Ravel, decapitated. "It was a massacre," she said.

While the government argues that the confrontation was relocated to "reduce collateral damage," families and residents report executions and disappearances. Security Secretary Victor Santos said that only four innocent people were injured "without serious wounds."