Crime
Police raids in Brazil leave at least 44 people dead
"A clash occurred when police teams came under attack by gunmen at the scene," state police said in a statement
August 3, 2023 9:08am
Updated: August 3, 2023 9:08am
Several police operations targeting gang members and drug dealers throughout Brazil left at least 44 people dead over the past week, local authorities said.
The latest incident took place on Wednesday, after state police engaged in a shoot-out in the Penha slums complex, a low-income neighborhood in the north side of Rio de Janeiro, resulting in nine casualties.
According to a statement by Rio’s police, the suspected criminals in the favela shot first, wounding police officers and prompting the police to return fire.
"A clash occurred when police teams came under attack by gunmen at the scene," state police said in a statement.
"Eleven suspects were wounded" and taken to the hospital, it said. "Nine of them died of their injuries," the statement read. The two injured victims were police officers. They are hospitalized but in stable condition.
Two of those who were killed during the shootout include drug gang leaders “Fiel” and “Du Leme.” Additionally, police seized seven rifles, ammunition, and grenades during the operation.
The Brazilian government has been tackling violence and organized crime by using lethal force and raids.
On Tuesday, Sao Paulo state police launched a police operation against gangs in the coastal city of Guaruja that left 16 dead, making it the deadliest raid since 2006. Fifty-eight other individuals were arrested and 385 kilograms of narcotics were seized as a result of the operation.
In addition, three other police operations targeting drug traffickers in separate cities were carried out in the state of Bahia, resulting in clashes that left 19 individuals dead, according to local media.
The Brazilian government’s use of force has been questioned by several politicians and human rights organizations. Justice Minister Flavio Dino argued that the actions by the police “don’t seem proportional to the crime committed.”
Critics are urging authorities to conduct investigations into the alleged police abuses in the South American country.
