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BRASILIA: The deadliest police operation in Brazil’s history killed at least 132 people, officials said on Wednesday, after Rio de Janeiro residents lined a street with dozens of corpses collected overnight, a week ahead of global climate events in the city.

The tally from the Rio public defender’s office was more than double the death toll released on Tuesday, when state authorities reported at least 64 dead, including four police officers. The raids were targeting a major drug gang, the state government said.

Rio Governor Claudio Castro said the initial tally had only counted bodies processed in the public morgue.

Penha residents who went looking for lost relatives had collected many of the corpses from a forested area behind their neighborhood, according to people at the scene, where more than 70 of the bodies were lined up in the middle of the street.

“I just want to take my son out of here and bury him,” said Taua Brito, a mother of one of those killed, surrounded by weeping mourners and onlookers on either side of the long row of bodies, some of which were covered with sheets or bags.

Governor Castro said he was certain those dead from the operation were criminals, as much of the gunfire was in a wooded area. “I don’t think anyone would be walking in the forest on the day of the conflict,” he told reporters.

“The only real victims were the police officers,” he said.

The police operation came days before Rio hosts global events related to the United Nations climate summit known as COP30, including the C40 global summit of mayors tackling climate change and British Prince William’s Earthshot Prize.

Rio has hosted several global events over the past decade, including the 2016 Olympics, the 2024 G20 summit and the BRICS summit in July, without violence on the scale seen on Tuesday.

The Rio state government said the operation was its largest ever to target the Comando Vermelho gang, which controls the drug trade in several favelas – poor and densely populated settlements woven through the city’s hilly oceanside terrain.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who landed in Brasilia late on Tuesday from a trip to Malaysia, has yet to comment on the raids.

He met with Vice President Geraldo Alckmin and cabinet members on Wednesday to discuss the matter, his office said. Lula’s justice minister said on Tuesday the government had not received any request for support from state authorities.

Several civil society groups criticized the heavy casualties of the military-style raid. The UN Human Rights office said it adds to a trend of extreme lethal consequences of police raids in Brazil’s marginalized communities.

DHAKA, OCT 29 (BSS/APP): The European Union (EU) plans to deploy a large delegation of election observers to Bangladesh for the upcoming general election, scheduled for the first half of February, marking the first such mission since 2008. 

EU Ambassador in Dhaka Michael Miller made the announcement during a meeting with Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus at the State Guest House Jamuna here today, said the Chief Adviser’s Press Wing. 

Miller said the EU observer mission had still to be finally confirmed, but could comprise between 150 and 200 members, with some arriving about six weeks before the election and others joining a week prior to polling day.

“This would be the first time since 2008 that the EU is sending such a full-fledged election observer team to Bangladesh,” Ambassador Miller told the Chief Adviser, adding that the EU would also assist in deploying local election observers during the vote.

During the hour-long meeting, the two sides discussed a wide range of issues, including governance and constitutional reforms, election preparations, judicial and labour reforms, trade and investment relations between Bangladesh and the EU, and the broader political process in the country.

Ambassador Miller praised the July National Charter, describing it as a “very important” document aimed at ensuring a smooth democratic transition. 

He also commended the recently approved labour law reforms and initiatives to strengthen the independence of the judiciary, calling them “notable successes.”

“These are all important steps,” he said, emphasizing the EU’s continued support for the Election Commission’s efforts to ensure free, fair, and credible elections in February.

Miller described the upcoming polls as “an opportunity to reset the reputation of the country.”

The envoy also reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to supporting Bangladesh’s smooth graduation from a Least Developed Country (LDC) to a middle-income nation.

Both sides discussed ways to deepen trade and investment ties, including prospects for an economic partnership agreement and exploring new opportunities in aviation and shipping. They also agreed to work more closely on tackling human trafficking and illegal migration.

Professor Yunus said Bangladesh is expected to sign an agreement with global shipping giant A.P. Moller-Maersk for the development and management of the Laldia Terminal at Chittagong Port.

Ambassador Miller noted that the Danish company plans to invest around US$800 million to develop Laldia into one of the top terminals in the region.

The two sides also discussed the election environment, candidate eligibility, and ensuring due process to uphold human rights ahead of the vote.