Rio Police Identifies Suspects of Marielle Franco's Assassination

[Judi Lynn]

Secretary of Public Security confirms that the case might involve militia groups
Nov.23.2018 1:32PM

RIO DE JANEIRO
The Rio de Janeiro secretary of Public Security, general Richard Nunes, confirmed that the police has identified some suspects of the murder of councilwoman Marielle Franco (PSOL), shot to death in downtown Rio on March 14th.

Eight months have passed, and the crime has yet to be solved. Nunes said that the police hadn't made any arrests because officers believe that once one of them is arrested, the others will escape. So the investigators are still figuring out a way to capture all of them at once.



Councilwoman Marielle Franco during a plenary session at Rio's Council Chamber, in 2017

The goal is to have them accused with such a substantial body of evidence that it would make it very hard for the suspects to avoid a conviction. The secretary also said he intends to have the case solved at the end of the federal intervention period, set for December 31st.

Nunes also confirmed that the police suspects that militia groups committed the crime. He also said that it's "likely" that there are politicians involved in Franco's assassination. The councilwoman was a human rights activist and advocated for the rights of people of color and in impoverished conditions.

https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/internacional/en/brazil/2018/11/rio-police-identifies-suspects-of-marielle-francos-assassination.shtml

(Short article, no more at link.)

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Previous article:

Marielle Franco: Brazil’s favelas mourn the death of a champion
Dom Phillips in Rio de Janeiro
@domphillips
Sat 17 Mar 2018 20.05 EDT

. . .

Franco’s death last week at 38 – a carefully targeted shooting by apparently professional killers – sent shockwaves across the world and is forcing Brazilians to ask searching questions about their country’s inherent racism, violence and culture of impunity. European parliament deputies condemned the killing. Brazil’s prosecutor general, Raquel Dodge, called it an attack on democracy. The great Brazilian music star Caetano Veloso wrote a song for her.

Aleixo had known her for years, ever since they campaigned together against the Rio police’s introduction of armoured vehicles in 2006. “She always had an opinion, and a desire to find a solution,” he said.

Franco fought for the rights of women, single mothers like herself, gay people and favela residents. She denounced the violence inflicted by Rio’s police on the community as they fight – and occasionally collude – with the drug gangs and another force active on the streets: the unofficial militias whose members include serving and former police officers.

In Rio state 154 people were killed “in opposition to police intervention” in January alone, 57% up year-on-year. Many think this is the reason Franco and her driver, Anderson Gomes, were riddled with bullets last Wednesday night – and fear the killing will discourage others like her.

“She knew what she was doing for us,” said Sonia Vieira, 64, a Maré pensioner who had voted for Franco. “Whenever someone comes along who can do this, they get rid of them.”

More:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/mar/18/marielle-franco-brazil-favelas-mourn-death-champion