Police officer involved in Marielle’s murder was appointed by Braga Netto, Bolsonaro’s right-hand man

Rivaldo Barbosa was appointed to the leadership of the Rio Police on the eve of Marielle’s murder

Appointed to the position of head of the Rio de Janeiro Civil Police the day before the murder of Marielle Franco, Rivaldo Barbosa was arrested on Sunday morning, accused of involvement in the case. Barbosa’s choice for the post came on the recommendation of General Walter Braga Netto, who served as Federal Intervenor in the state’s public security at that period.

At his inauguration ceremony, Barbosa highlighted the fight against corruption as one of the main focuses of his administration, mentioning the importance of improving intelligence operations to combat financial crimes.

Barbosa also highlighted the need for cooperation between different institutions, stressing that federal intervention sought to act in harmony with local entities to promote public order and security.

To date, the exact circumstances that led to the charges against Rivaldo Barbosa remain unclear, although there are indications that he may have interfered in the investigations into the murder of Marielle and Anderson, investigations that have been the subject of criticism over the six years since course.

Furthermore, Barbosa faced accusations by the Public Ministry of Rio de Janeiro related to offenses in the execution of the Public Procurement Law. He, together with Carlos Leba, his predecessor, was incriminated in 2018 for carrying out emergency procurement of information technology services without bidding, involving amounts exceeding R$19 million. The Public Prosecutor’s Office demanded his immediate removal from office due to these infractions.