Brazil São Paulo police operations 'Escudo' and 'Verão' linked to torture and selective revenge

A report by the Instituto Vladimir Herzog examined the São Paulo Military Police’s Operation Escudo (launched in July 2023) and Operation Verão (started early 2024) in the Baixada Santista region. The study documented 84 deaths, of which 82 % were young, Black, low‑income men, describing the actions as “selective revenge” and a “chacina.”

Testimonies indicated victims were tortured, had homes entered without judicial orders, and suffered multiple human‑rights violations. The operations were presented by the state government, led by Governor Tarcísio de Freitas, as a crackdown on drug trafficking and organized crime following the killings of several police officers, including Patrick Bastos Reis, Marcelo Augusto da Silva, Samuel Wesley Cosmo and José Silveira dos Santos. The report notes minimal accountability for the officers involved and was forwarded to the Inter‑American Commission on Human Rights.

The findings portray the two campaigns as among the deadliest police actions in recent São Paulo history, raising concerns over excessive force, racial and socioeconomic targeting, and the adequacy of investigations.