The governor of Rio de Janeiro, Cláudio Castro (PL), declared on Tuesday that the federal government had previously denied help for police operations in the city and that, therefore, the state was 'alone' during this morning's mega-operation in the Alemão and Penha complexes against the criminal group Comando Vermelho, in which at least 60 people died in violent shootouts. Castro stated that the state is fighting organized crime without federal support: 'Rio is alone,' reported Globo.com. The operation in Alemão and Penha is the largest in Rio since 2010, it was stated. The Ministries of Justice and Defense affirmed that they will continue to operate in the state and listed cooperation measures. It was also indicated that the Federal Police carried out 178 operations in Rio this year, 24 of which aimed to combat drug and arms trafficking. The text also highlights that the Federal Highway Police has been taking measures against cargo and vehicle theft on federal highways. According to the ministry, the state of Rio has received federal funds to invest in the penitentiary system and public security, as well as equipment donations. The Ministry listed a series of cooperation agreements and partnerships with the government of the state of Rio de Janeiro aimed at combating organized crime, and reaffirmed the federal government's commitment to Rio de Janeiro in promoting public security through integrated support. It is a larger operation than in 2010 and, unfortunately, this time, as throughout this six-year term, we do not have the support of armored vehicles or agents from the federal security and defense forces,” it was described. The Ministry of Justice and Public Security reported that it has been acting in Rio de Janeiro since October 2023, through the National Public Security Operation, which remains in effect until December 16, 2025, with the possibility of renewal, according to Globo.com. In a statement, the ministry indicated that it has responded promptly to all requests from the state government for the deployment of the National Force. 'Every day there is a reason not to cooperate,' lamented Castro. He also stated that Tuesday's operation 'has very little to do with public security,' that 'the war is going too far,' and demanded support from President Lula da Silva's government. According to Castro, Tuesday's operation is 'the largest in the history of Rio de Janeiro.' 'We are alone in this fight today. We were denied three times our requests: to lend the armored vehicle, we had to have GLO, and the president (Lula) is against GLO.'
