00:00And at least eight people died on Wednesday during a narcotics operation in central Rio de Janeiro in southeastern Brazil.
00:06The operation carried out by special forces aimed to dismantle criminal gangs in the Morro dos Brasiles area.
00:12Among the deceased is Claudio Augusto dos Santos, also known as Gilo, who was identified as one of the main
00:18leaders of the drug trade in the region.
00:20According to the police chief Marcelo Meneses, he was responsible for kidnappings, robberies and attacks on tourists.
00:25The violence did not only affect armed groups, the authorities confirmed that a local resident died after being used as
00:31a hostage by the criminals.
00:33Following the death of Gilo, alleged criminals set fire to a bus and blocked streets in protest, which forced the
00:39closure of schools in the areas of Brazil.
00:41These operations have frequently been questioned by human rights organizations due to disproportionate use of force.
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