Rio de Janeiro: Controversial mega-operation garnered popular support.

Note for the Portuguese reader: This article analyzes a police operation that took place in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in October 2025. Rio de Janeiro is the second largest Brazilian city, with approximately 6 million inhabitants, known internationally but also marked by serious public security problems. The "favelas" mentioned are informal housing neighborhoods where millions of Brazilians reside, often under the control of armed criminal organizations.

When the Brazilian state decided to regain control of territories dominated by organized crime.

Operation Containment, carried out on October 28, 2025, in the Alemão and Penha favela complexes in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, represents a decisive milestone in Brazilian public security policy. For context for Portuguese readers: Rio de Janeiro, the former capital of Brazil, has faced for decades the territorial dominance of criminal factions in areas known as favelas—informal housing neighborhoods where a significant portion of the population lives.

With 121 deaths resulting from the police operation—117 individuals identified as suspected criminals and, regrettably, 4 security agents (military and civilian police officers) killed in combat—the action became the largest police operation in Brazilian history in terms of armed confrontation. Official data, however, reveals widespread popular support, especially among residents of the affected communities themselves.

Public support: data from research institutes

Data presented by Brazilian research institutes reveal broad support for the operation. According to a survey by the AtlasIntel institute, conducted between October 29 and 30, 2025, using scientific methodology and a margin of error of 3 percentage points, 87.6% of residents of favelas in the city of Rio de Janeiro expressed approval of the police operation.

For context: favelas are Brazilian urban communities where millions of citizens reside, often under the de facto control of armed criminal organizations that impose their own rules, running parallel to the rule of law.

Among the general population of the city of Rio de Janeiro (a metropolis of approximately 6 million inhabitants), 62.2% supported the operation, while 34.2% expressed disapproval, according to the same survey. At the Brazilian national level, 55.2% of those interviewed approved of the action. Importantly, 52.5% of Brazilians consulted considered the level of force employed by the security forces to be adequate.

Profile of the deceased according to official data from the Brazilian government.

According to information released by the Public Security Secretariat of the State of Rio de Janeiro in an official press conference, of the 99 individuals identified up to October 31, 2025, 78 had prior criminal records in the Brazilian justice system — including convictions or proceedings for homicide, drug trafficking, and participation in a criminal organization. Of these, 42 had outstanding arrest warrants issued by the Brazilian justice system.

It is important to clarify for the Portuguese reader that the Brazilian judicial system allows public access to information on criminal records when there is a relevant public interest, respecting the legal limits of privacy.

Among the officially identified dead, 39 were from other Brazilian states—a significant fact in a country of continental dimensions like Brazil. According to authorities, this indicates that the Alemão and Penha complexes functioned as command centers for the criminal organization known as Comando Vermelho, one of the largest organized crime factions in Brazil.

Political impact: growth in the governor's approval rating.

Cláudio Castro, governor of the State of Rio de Janeiro (equivalent to a president of an autonomous region in Portuguese terms), saw his approval rating rise from 43% to 53% after the operation, according to a survey by the Genial/Quaest institute. In the specific area of ​​public security — a constitutional responsibility of Brazilian states — his positive rating grew from 22% to 39%.

A survey by the Datafolha institute (one of the most traditional research institutes in Brazil) confirmed that 40% of residents of the capital and metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro consider the government "excellent" or "good" — the highest level since 2022.

According to an analysis by Quaest director Felipe Nunes, "the improvement in the governor's approval rating occurred because the majority believe that the operation was authorized to combat organized crime (54%), not as an action to gain popularity."

Scope of the operation: unprecedented mobilization in Brazil.

Operation Containment mobilized 2,500 agents from the Civil and Military Police of Rio de Janeiro (state, not federal, security forces), and utilized 32 armored vehicles, 2 helicopters, and dozens of specialized vehicles. To put this in perspective, it represents approximately 10% of the entire police force in the capital of Rio de Janeiro.

The officially released operational results include: 113 people arrested, 91 rifles seized (weapons of war restricted for use in Brazil), 26 pistols, more than a ton of illicit drugs, and 14 explosive devices.

The Secretary of Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro, Felipe Curi, stated in an official press conference that it was "the biggest blow that Comando Vermelho has suffered in its entire history." According to authorities, police investigations indicated that the complexes functioned as paramilitary training centers.

Weapons seized and armed resistance.

According to official reports of the operation, police forces faced armed resistance that included, as disclosed by the authorities: the use of drones adapted for launching explosives, the use of automatic rifles (G3, AK-47 and FAL models — military weaponry), and the erection of incendiary barricades on access roads.

It is important to contextualize that, in Brazil, previous judicial decisions, including the Argument of Non-Compliance with Fundamental Precept (ADPF) 635 of 2020, had established restrictions on police operations in favelas during the COVID-19 pandemic. These restrictions were subsequently relaxed, but the period of reduced police presence is cited by security authorities as a factor that allowed the strengthening of the firepower of criminal organizations.

Divergent reactions: popular support versus institutional criticism.

While international organizations such as the UN and human rights groups have expressed concern about the death toll, research indicates that 55.9% of Brazilians surveyed support more similar operations, according to AtlasIntel.

Additional data from the same survey shows that 64.6% of Brazilians would support the deployment of armored vehicles from the Brazilian Armed Forces (equivalent to the Portuguese Army) to assist in future public security operations. This data reflects the perception of a portion of the population that the security problem in Rio de Janeiro has reached proportions that demand exceptional resources.

It is important to note that the debate on public security in Brazil is complex and polarized, involving constitutional issues regarding the role of the armed forces, state versus federal jurisdictions, and differing views on security policies in areas of social vulnerability.

Reflection: a necessary debate on urban security

Operation Containment in Rio de Janeiro highlights the dilemmas faced by democracies when dealing with territorial control exercised by armed criminal organizations. Data showing strong public support for the operation—particularly among residents of the favelas themselves—suggest a social demand for the effective presence of the rule of law in these areas.

The figures presented by Brazilian authorities — 78 of the 99 identified had criminal records, and 42 had outstanding arrest warrants — are factual elements that should be considered in the public debate about the event. Simultaneously, the total number of deaths (121) raises questions about proportionality and methods that deserve in-depth analysis.

The increase in Governor Castro's approval rating from 43% to 53% indicates that, in the current Brazilian political context, there is support for more assertive security policies. However, as in all democracies, the balance between security and fundamental rights remains a central challenge.

For the international observer, the case of Rio de Janeiro offers lessons on the challenges of public security in large urban centers with high social inequality. The complexity of the Brazilian situation—with its constitutional, social, and territorial particularities—resists simplistic or imported solutions.

The debate will continue, as is typical of democratic societies. The data presented here, originating from official sources and recognized research institutes, contribute to a more informed understanding of one of the most significant events in recent Brazilian public security.