Brazil probes threat to COP30 host city’s power grid after deadly Rio raid

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By Ricardo Brito and Leticia Fucuchima

BRASILIA (Reuters) -Brazilian authorities are investigating a reported threat to a power substation in the city hosting a United Nations climate summit, with possible links to the gang targeted by a deadly police raid last week, a document seen by Reuters showed on Friday.

Brazil is hosting world leaders at a summit ahead of the COP30 climate talks in the Amazonian city of Belem, a week after Rio police targeted the Comando Vermelho gang in an operation that killed 121 people, drawing concern from U.N. experts.

On October 30, two days after the raid, Brazil’s Mines and Energy Ministry was notified by Verene Energia, the company managing the Belem-Marituba energy substation, of a threat made by someone who identified himself as a member of the Comando Vermelho, according to a letter sent to the Justice Ministry.

The individual demanded the immediate suspension of work on the Marituba substation and daily interruption of all operations starting at 3 p.m. local time, the document showed.

“This incident demonstrates an imminent and active risk not only to the safety of personnel and property, but also to the continuity of an essential public service, further aggravated by the proximity of COP30,” Verene Energia told the Mines and Energy Ministry.

Verene Energia, which is controlled by Canada’s CDPQ, said in a statement that all of its infrastructure, services and personnel are safe and functioning normally, but could not comment further due to the ongoing investigation.

Comando Vermelho, founded five decades ago in Rio, has since expanded to other Brazilian states including those in the Amazon region in pursuit of new drug and arms trafficking routes. Police said gang leaders from other states were involved in the deadly Rio raid last week.

Brazil’s Justice Ministry said it had “immediately initiated an investigation” and referred the matter to the appropriate authorities upon learning of the reported threat to the power substation.

The country’s federal police launched an investigation on Tuesday to clarify whether the incident involves an isolated move or a link to a criminal organization, it said in a statement, adding that security measures remain in place.

(Reporting Ricardo Brito in Brasilia and Leticia Fucuchima in Sao Paulo; Writing by Isabel Teles; Editing by Brad Haynes and Paul Simao)