The arrests of current and former Rio de Janeiro officials for involvement in the 2018 murder of Rio councilwoman Marielle Franco add to evidence that the killing was aimed at protecting criminal and corrupt interests.
Brazil’s Federal Police (Policía Federal – PF) on March 24 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. Police also arrested the former head of Rio de Janeiro’s Civil Police, Rivaldo Barbosa.
The men stand accused of masterminding the murder of Franco, a high-profile councilwoman and human rights activist, and her driver, Anderson Gomes, six years ago. Barbosa is also accused of using his position to obstruct investigations into the murder.
“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, an ex-military police officer and alleged member of the Escritório do Crime militia, who confessed to being the gunman in the murder. Lessa is currently on trial for his part in the killing.
SEE ALSO: How Religious Militias and Warrior Mentalities Mix in Rio de Janeiro
The Brazãos have long careers in Rio de Janeiro politics, with much of their support stemming from western zones of Rio de Janeiro, where militias exercise significant power over utilities and real estate. Lessa testified 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 maintained their clients’ innocence in statements to local media.
InSight Crime Analysis
The arrests spotlight how militias have partnered up with officials throughout Rio de Janeiro’s government to protect 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 give 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 put her in the brothers’ crosshairs, 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.
SEE ALSO: ‘Largest-Ever’ Police Corruption Case Unfolds in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro’s militias are largely made up of former and current police officers. They routinely carry out assassinations of political opponents and have maintained high-level connections to the government for decades.
However, it is uncommon for such killings to garner the level of scrutiny Franco’s murder has attracted. Franco’s relationship with international journalists based in Brazil spurred global media coverage of her assassination, and kept pressure on Brazilian authorities to continue making progress on her case.
While the recent arrests mark a significant development in a long stagnant case, Rio de Janeiro remains far from reigning in organized crime and corruption.
The investigation into Franco’s murder drew criticism from the start. Barbosa became police chief the day before Franco was killed, and is accused of both helping plan the killing and then derailing the investigation. Domigos Brazão was suspected of involvement as early as 2018, but evaded charges from local authorities. When federal authorities originally tried to take over the case, they were blocked.
“Some members of the [civil] police, unfortunately, during all this time, were able to obstruct progress in the investigations,” Lewandowski said.
Studies by Brazilian NGO Sou da Paz have consistently found that Rio de Janeiro has one of the lowest clearance rates for homicides in the country, with the vast majority of cases going unsolved. In addition to being police chief, Barbosa also headed the civil police’s homicide division, calling into question whether he could have obstructed investigations into other militia related killings.
Feature image: Protestors march demanding justice for the murder of Marielle Franco. Source: Tomas Silva/AG Brazil