Milan, 29 October (LaPresse) – Scenes of war in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, where a large-scale police operation sparked violent clashes with Comando Vermelho, one of Brazil's most powerful criminal organisations. Over 2,500 officers entered the Alemão and Penha complexes, resulting in a dramatic toll: at least 64 dead, including four police officers, and more than 80 arrests. The criminal group responded with drones armed with grenades, assault rifles and buses used as barricades. The operation, called “Contenção”, aimed to contain the expansion of Comando Vermelho, which controls much of the drug trafficking in Rio. Governor Cláudio Castro called the intervention “a war by the state against narco-terrorists” and requested assistance from the federal government. Meanwhile, President Lula da Silva has ordered the ministers of Justice and the Civil House to coordinate the response.
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