AGÊNCIA BRAZIL - RIO DE JANEIRO
Published on 10/30/2025 - 11:59
Agência Brasil - Rio de Janeiro,
The director demands compensation and judicial accountability from the authorities.
Amnesty International's executive director in Brazil, doctor Jurema Werneck, described the police operation Contenção "Containment" in the Complexo do Alemão and Complexo da Penha favelas in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday (October 28) as a "disaster." The latest official tally shows that the operation resulted in 119 deaths.
Jurema Werneck said there was misinformation about the operation's success. "Public security authorities claim it was a planned operation. [But] an operation with so many deaths?" he questioned during an interview with the Brazilian TV news program Repórter Brasil.
- The director pointed out that police officers in Penha and Alemão yesterday lacked "control of the environment" and failed to fulfill "their duty to protect life and property."
"It must be said that this operation was not successful. It was a disaster. Everyone knows that killing and success are not synonymous—hundreds of people were killed. We have received reports of thousands of people suffering trauma," Werneck said.
The director thus described the operation as a "complete failure" for the country and society. "Not just for the governor [Cláudio Castro] and his security advisor—it was a failure for all of us, unfortunately."
The Amnesty International director's statement contrasted Governor Castro's assessment. He said the operation was positive. "Yesterday we dealt a heavy blow to crime and demonstrated that we are capable of winning the battle," he said at a morning press conference.
- For Jurema Werneck, the Rio de Janeiro governor's statement "encourages all extrajudicial actions," and he and the state's public security team knew the operation was illegal. "This is a disrespect for international law, human rights, the Constitution, and all Brazilian laws," he added.
Amnesty International, along with other civil society organizations and institutions, is compiling reports on the operation. According to Werneck, what has been reported expresses "outrage." He hopes that "the governor will present evidence supporting the veracity of the operation and the alleged planning of the action."
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