A São Paulo–Based Brazilian Perspective on Rio’s October 28th Events
A São Paulo–Based Brazilian Perspective on Rio’s October 28th Events, Brazil witnessed one of the most violent and politically charged security operations in its modern history. What unfolded in Rio de Janeiro’s northern neighborhoods — particularly in the Complexo do Alemão and Complexo da Penha — was not just a massive police action. It was a national turning point in how Brazil confronts organized crime, state sovereignty, and the politics of fear.
NEWS
Unveiled Brazil
10/24/20254 min read
Brazil’s Security Crossroads: The Political Earthquake Behind Rio’s Deadliest Operation
By [Everton Faustino]
October 30, 2025
On October 28th, Brazil witnessed one of the most violent and politically charged security operations in its modern history. What unfolded in Rio de Janeiro’s northern neighborhoods — particularly in the Complexo do Alemão and Complexo da Penha — was not just a massive police action. It was a national turning point in how Brazil confronts organized crime, state sovereignty, and the politics of fear.
More than 2,500 security personnel took part in what has already been labeled the deadliest operation in Rio’s history, with at least 64 confirmed deaths, including four members of elite police units. Some local sources suggest that the death toll could be far higher, possibly exceeding 120 — a grim symbol of Brazil’s spiraling conflict between the state and criminal organizations that have become de facto rulers of entire urban territories.
A State Under Siege
Officially, the operation’s target was a powerful criminal network — here referred to as Comando Vermelho (red Command) — a decentralized organization notorious for its control over essential community services such as electricity, water, food distribution, and internet. Unlike the PCC Group ("Primeiro Comando da Capital " - First Command of the Capital), its more hierarchical rival with national coordination and stricter command structures, Red Command operates as a loose federation of local leaders using a common “brand.” Each faction enjoys significant autonomy, turning Rio’s favelas into a mosaic of micro-states under parallel governance.
By controlling utilities and daily necessities, these groups have built not just an economic empire, but a form of territorial sovereignty. They provide what the state does not: security, services, and employment — albeit through coercion and violence. In many communities, the Brazilian government is little more than an abstraction.
Political Reverberations and the Blame Game
The scale and brutality of the operation quickly transcended public security debates, igniting a political storm between the state government of Rio de Janeiro and the federal administration in Brasília. Critics accused Rio’s authorities of mismanaging over 175 million reais earmarked for public security. The state government, in turn, claimed it had repeatedly requested federal support that never arrived.
Each side has sought to deflect blame, framing the operation either as an act of necessary enforcement or a tragic example of reckless militarization. What’s undeniable is that the tragedy exposed a structural vacuum — the absence of a coherent national security policy and the deep fragmentation of Brazil’s political system.
The Ideological Battlefield
The timing of the operation is not coincidental. With the 2026 presidential elections looming, security has become the most explosive political issue in Brazil. A growing faction aligned with the so-called “Donald doctrine” — inspired by hardline U.S. approaches to crime and border security — advocates for classifying Brazil’s criminal organizations as terrorist entities.
If enacted, such a classification would transfer jurisdiction from state to federal courts, allowing for harsher laws and even potential military involvement under federal command.
This shift would dramatically alter the balance of power between Brasília and the states, and between democratic oversight and militarized governance. Proponents argue that only a federal counterterrorism framework can dismantle the cartels’ control over Brazilian territories. Opponents warn of the risks of eroding civil rights, militarizing domestic policy, and normalizing a state of exception.
What critics often overlook is that residents under the control of these factions are not truly free. Coercion, indoctrination, torture, and even retaliatory killings of children are routine tactics employed by these groups. This context helps explain why many favela residents express support for the recent mega‑operation.
What Favela Residents Think: Latest Polling
Remarkably, despite the extraordinary violence of the operation, recent polling reveals strong support among favela residents for the police action. A survey by AtlasIntel found that 62 per cent of Rio de Janeiro residents backed the raid — and the figure climbed to 88 per cent among those living in favelas. ft.com+1
This reveals a stark calculus: many favela dwellers, long exposed to cycles of turf wars, killings, and criminal governance, appear willing to accept extraordinary force if they believe it will disrupt the status quo. One anonymous favela resident told pollsters: “All of them would kill or steal if they had the chance.” Reddit Yet, the question remains whether such support reflects hope for change or desperation born of countless previous failures.
The latest polling contradicts the federal government’s narrative that the majority of those killed were civilians. Subsequent identification of the bodies revealed, however, that most of the deceased had active criminal warrants, undermining the official discourse.
The Global Context
Brazil’s security crisis cannot be viewed in isolation. Organized crime in Latin America increasingly operates as part of transnational networks linked to drug trafficking, illegal mining, and cybercrime. The United States has already signaled its willingness to expand joint land operations beyond maritime interdictions, citing national security concerns and the global spread of “narco-states.”
Such language — invoking “terror” and “defense of civilization” — blurs the line between law enforcement and military intervention, raising difficult questions about sovereignty, legitimacy, and international law.
A Nation at a Crossroads
Ultimately, the October 28th operation was more than a tragedy — it was a political rehearsal for the arguments that will dominate Brazil’s 2026 elections. Public security, once a technical issue, has become the ideological battlefield where visions of Brazil’s future collide: one advocating centralization and military rigor, the other defending civil liberties and institutional reform.
The choice facing Brazil is not merely about how to fight crime, but what kind of state it wants to be — one governed by the rule of law, or one that surrenders to the logic of perpetual war.