The arrests of current and former Rio de Janeiro officials for involvement in the 2018 murder murder of Rio councilwoman Marielle Franco contribute to the evidence that the killing was intended to protect criminal and corrupt interests.
Brazil’s Federal Police (Policía Federal – PF) arrested Chiquinho Brazão, a congressman and former Rio de Janeiro councilman, and his brother Domingos, a current member of the state financial watchdog and former state legislator, on March 24. Police also arrested the former head of Rio de Janeiro’s Civil Police, Rivaldo Barbosa.
The men are accused of planning the murder of Franco, a well-known councilwoman and human rights activist, and her driver, Anderson Gomes, six years ago. Barbosa is also accused of using his position to impede investigations into the homicide.
“On this day of pain and hope, our family continues to fight for justice. Nothing will bring our Mari back, but we are one step closer to the answers we long for,” Marielle Franco’s sister Anielle wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
The arrests followed testimony from Ronnie Lessa, a former military police officer and alleged member of the Escritório do Crime militia, who admitted to being the gunman in the murder. Lessa is currently on trial for his involvement in the killing.
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The Brazãos have extensive careers in Rio de Janeiro politics, with much of their support coming from western zones of Rio de Janeiro, where militias wield significant power over utilities and real estate. Lessa stated that a militia member who had infiltrated Franco’s party warned Domingos Brazão that Franco was fighting against the militia’s illegal construction projects, according to PF documents seen by Folha de São Paulo.
Lawyers for the accused all asserted their clients’ innocence in statements to local media.
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The arrests highlight how militias have collaborated with officials across Rio de Janeiro’s government to safeguard their criminal activities from political opposition.
In a press conference announcing the arrests, Brazil’s minister of justice and public security, Ricardo Lewandowski, did not provide a specific motive for Franco’s assassination. However, the PF are investigating whether it was Franco’s opposition to a bill by Chiquinho Brazão that would legalize the militias’ illicitly constructed buildings in the western zone of Rio de Janeiro – an area largely controlled by the criminal groups that may have targeted her. according to O Globo.
Links between Rio de Janeiro politicians and militias in the city have long been established. Militias have infiltrated the Rio de Janeiro real estate market, illegally building “luxury” apartments, some of which have collapsed, killing several people. In one 2018 case, the Escritório do Crime financed such constructions.
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Rio de Janeiro’s militias are mostly comprised of former and current police officers. They regularly carry out assassinations of political opponents and have maintained high-level connections to the government for decades.
However, it is unusual for such killings to attract the level of attention Franco’s murder has garnered. Franco’s relationship with international journalists based in Brazil led to global media coverage of her assassination and kept pressure on Brazilian authorities to continue making progress on her case.
The recent arrests are a significant step forward in a long-standing case, but Rio de Janeiro still has a long way to go in controlling organized crime and corruption.
The investigation into Franco’s murder received criticism from the beginning. Barbosa became police chief the day before Franco was killed. accused He was accused of both helping to plan the killing and then sabotaging the investigation. Domigos Brazão was suspected of involvement in 2018, but managed to avoid charges from local authorities. When federal authorities initially tried to take over the case, they were prevented from doing so.
“Some members of the police, unfortunately, during all this time, were able to block progress in the investigations,” Lewandowski said.
Studies Research by Brazilian NGO Sou da Paz has consistently shown that Rio de Janeiro has one of the lowest rates of solving homicides in the country. The majority of cases remain unsolved. In addition to being police chief, Barbosa also led the civil police’s homicide division, raising questions about whether he could have impeded investigations into other killings related to militias.
Feature image: Protesters march to demand justice for the murder of Marielle Franco. Source: Tomas Silva/AG Brazil