Criminal massacre by the police in Rio de Janeiro
We hereby share an unofficial translation of an article published by A Nova Democracia.
Rio de Janeiro: Police invade Fiocruz campus in Manguinhos – 4 people are murdered in police operation in a favela
The Civil and Military Police, during an operation that killed four people in the Manguinhos complex, invaded the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz) campus, north of Rio, this Wednesday 8th of January. The invasion led to a shootout inside the institution, shooting out the window of the Bio-Manguinhos vaccine factory and injuring a campus employee.
According to a note issued by Fiocruz on social media, “four Civil Police agents entered the Fiocruz campus (Manguinhos-Maré campus), in Rio de Janeiro, without identifying themselves and without authorization for an incursion into the community of Varginha”.
A security guard who worked at Fiocruz was arrested and taken away in handcuffs while helping students, patients, employees and children to protect themselves from the shooting. The arrested worker was accused by the police of helping criminals to escape. According to the foundation, the arrest was made “arbitrarily”.
The worker who was injured by the rests of the shot window at the Bio-Manguinhos vaccine factory was promptly treated by the Fiocruz workers health team. The laboratory was one of those responsible for developing vaccines against Covid-19 during the pandemic.
After the operation that resulted in four murders, one employee and at least one resident of the Mandela favela injured, the residents of Manguinhos carried out a demonstration rejecting the police incursion into the community. Residents erected burning barricades, closing the Leopoldo Bulhões Avenue, surrounded a BOPE armored vehicle (popularly known as Caveirão) and organized a motorbikes march.
The operation is part of a series of raids on Rio’s favelas that are usually carried out during the summer, a time when many children and teenagers are on school holidays.
