After a mega operation this Tuesday of the police Civil and Military in the complexes of the Penha and of Germanin the Northern Zone of Rio de Janeirothe city experienced a night marked by silence and empty streets in several regions.
This scenario began to be observed yesterday afternoon, when the municipality went to “Stage 2″ of the risk system, after blockages carried out by traffickers in the North, West, Southwest and Center zones. Early this morning, the mayor Eduardo Paes He assured that the city has already returned to “Stage 1: normality”.
Meanwhile, people crowd in hospitals who search among the accumulated corpses for their missing loved ones, of whom they still have no data or information about whether they are injured, dead, arrested or simply fled.
According to the company RioÔnibus, at least 71 buses were used as barricades in different parts of the city. Merchants reported the closure of numerous stores due to orders from criminals and a chaotic return home for many residents.
At night, the tension persisted. A woman was walking with her dog through the Praça Varnhagenin Tijucaand commented to Or Globe: “It looks like Covid. very strange“If someone had visited Rio during the first weeks of the pandemic and returned in the early morning after the operation, they would find a similar atmosphere. The place, nicknamed “Buxixo”usually bustling with activity, bars and samba, remained empty.
The bars and restaurants in the area were closed, and the usual streets for nighttime entertainment looked deserted.
In it Boulevard 28 de Setembroin Vila Isabelonly two sweepers, two recyclers and a small bar remained on site. This avenue, famous for its bars linked to composers such as Noel Rosa and Martinho da Vilashowed an unusual image. The Rua Teodoro da Silvawhich connects several neighborhoods, also did not have vehicular traffic. In it Long Verdunin it Grajaúa 24-hour pharmacy closed, reflecting the absence of movement also recorded in Maracanã and the King Pelé Avenue.
The Grajaú-Jacarepaguá highwayan important link between the North and Southwest Zones, also remained closed, which attracted special attention. This road, which runs through communities under the control of the Vermelho Commandowas the objective of the operation.
Around 3:30 in the morning, the Rio Operations and Resilience Center (Cor-Rio) announced that all roads were releasedthe last being the Grajaú-Jacarepaguá highway.
In the South Zonethe early morning hours showed a tense atmosphere and empty areas, a consequence of restricted mobility and the early return of residents. In the Praça São Salvadorneighborhood of Laranjeirasthe usual movement was not observed. “I’m just passing through, because I needed to buy something urgently at the market, but I’m in a hurry. On any given night, I’d be watching a game at a table, but today I’m staying at home,” a neighbor explained to the local media. G1.
This situation was repeated in the Largo do Machadowhere the majority of businesses kept their doors closed and those who opened noticed a lower flow of customers. Luis Felipea waiter at a local restaurant, stated: “Today is very difficult, the streets are deserted and the clients who arrive stay less time than usual”.
24-hour service establishments, such as pharmacies and locksmiths, also ceased activities.
In Botafogothe lack of movement in the Rua Voluntários da Pátriaone of the main roads in the neighborhood, was notorious. Not even the known Rua Arnaldo Quintelahighlighted by the magazine Time Out As one of the “coolest” in the world, it registered influx.
During the early hours of this Wednesday, the mayor of Rio de Janeiro reported that there were no longer blocked roads after the offensive of the Vermelho Commando. “The last road to be reopened was the Grajaú-Jacarepaguá highway, in the direction of Jacarepaguá, at 2:45,” reported the Operations and Resilience Center.
Before 6:00, the mayor Eduardo Paes confirmed the return of the city to Stage 1 (normality), after 16 hours in Stage 2. “The city returns to Phase 1. Transportation functions normally and circulation flows normally. We remain alert. “Stay informed through official channels!” he declared. Phase 2 indicates incidents of high impact and potential for escalation.
For more than 12 hours, Drug traffickers blocked roads using buses and different vehicles in retaliation for the police operation. By mid-afternoon, bus companies ordered the units to return to the depots, leaving many residents stranded. Some walked up to five kilometers to reach their homes.
