Rio's Deadliest Day: How the 2025 Police Massacre Surpassed Carandiru and Paralyzed a Megacity

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Rio's Deadliest Day: How the 2025 Police Massacre Surpassed Carandiru and Paralyzed a Megacity

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October 28, 2025, became one of the most violent and traumatic days in Rio de Janeiro history. In a massive operation aimed at the Comando Vermelho (Red Command) drug faction in Complexo do Alemão and Complexo da Penha, police launched what Governor Cláudio Castro called "Operation Containment". The action swiftly devolved into the deadliest police operation in the state’s history, resulting in over 130 deaths according to the Public Defenders’ Office.

Activists and residents immediately denounced the brutality, calling it a “massacre” or "slaughter," with bodies retrieved showing signs of summary execution, including gunshots to the head and torture.

The historic violence paralyzed the city, causing widespread chaos: over 40 schools and universities suspended activities, major expressways like Linha Vermelha and Linha Amarela were blocked, and access to Galeão International Airport was compromised. This tragedy reignited international concern and debate, exposing a failed public security model that critics argue amounts to a "war on favelas" and the "extermination of Black and peripheral populations". We investigate the political choices that led to this unprecedented bloodshed and the lasting impact on Rio’s communities.

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