Bolsonaro congratulates the police action in a favela in Rio de Janeiro in which 18 people died

MADRID, 23 Jul. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The Brazilian president, Jair Bolsonaro, congratulated the Police on Friday for their actions on Thursday during an operation in a favela in Rio de Janeiro against organized crime and in which 18 people died.

A 50-year-old woman, a military policeman and "16 criminals" lost their lives, as detailed by the spokesman for the Brazilian Civil Police, Ivan Blaz, in statements collected by 'O Globo'.

After the operation, which has been one of the deadliest recorded in the Brazilian capital, the Police have received criticism from the relatives of the dead woman for a "disproportionate use" of force.

However, Bolsonaro has refused to offer solidarity to the victims of the operation in the Alemao favela complex, in the north of the Brazilian capital, and has only lamented the death of the police officer, whom he has called "paratrooper brother", 'Folha de S.Paulo' has reported.

"I am not going to go into details about this mother, she is innocent (...). If I am going to call all the relatives of those who die every day, I... This fact has had repercussions, he is a paratrooper, he is my brother and it's over. Congratulations to the Military Police," he added.

Asked if he was in solidarity with the rest of the victims, Bolsonaro said: "You are in solidarity with these people, okay?" The Brazilian president expressed in statements collected by 'Correio Braziliense'.

According to the version of the neighbors and police witnesses collected by the aforementioned newspaper, the "massacre" would have been motivated as retaliation for the death of the police agent, who would have lost his life when he was wounded by a shot at the beginning of the operation.

The Civil Police of Brazil tried to dismantle a group of vehicle thieves that was "heavily armed". The commander of the Special Police Operations Battalion, Uirá Nascimento, has maintained that the operation "was necessary", since intelligence data indicated that the gang could move and commit criminal actions in the city, such as invading other favelas and robbing banks.

Thursday's intervention is one of the deadliest in the Brazilian capital. The deadliest operation in the state of Rio de Janeiro took place in May 2021, in the Jacarezinho favela, in which 28 people died, including a civilian police officer, according to 'Folha De S.Paulo'.