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From the show
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1 min
In October 2025, a police operation left 122 people dead in the favelas of Penha and Alemão, in the north of Rio de Janeiro. Its aim was to weaken the Comando Vermelho, or “Red Command”, one of Brazil’s oldest and most powerful criminal organisations. The gang is growing rapidly; in 16 years it has increased its area of control by 90 percent and is extending its influence far beyond Brazil.
In Rio de Janeiro, deadly police operations are on the rise in an attempt to stem this sprawling network, but they remain ineffective. How is Red Command extending its influence and managing to thrive? Our Brazil correspondents report.
