In an operation coordinated by the Attorney General’s Office, the Public Ministry of Rio de Janeiro and the Federal Police, three individuals suspected of being behind the murder of councilor Marielle Franco, which occurred in March 2018, were arrested this Sunday, the 24th.
Among those detained are Domingos Brazão, counselor at the State Court of Auditors; Chiquinho Brazão, federal deputy; and Rivaldo Barbosa, former head of the Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro.
Marielle Franco’s mother, Marinete Silva, expressed in an interview with Globonews his surprise and pain at the arrest of Rivaldo Barbosa, highlighting the trust that his daughter placed in the then head of the Civil Police. “It’s a Sunday of a lot of pain but also of justice being done,” she explained.
According to the councilor’s mother, Barbosa had guaranteed efforts to elucidate the crime, increasing the level of trust between him and Marielle’s family.
“My daughter trusted him and his work. And he said it was a matter of honor for him to clarify [a morte da vereadora]”, he revealed.
“For obvious reasons, because Marielle, in addition to trusting him, Marielle guaranteed Dr. Rivaldo’s entry into Complexo da Maré after a massacre so that he could enter and leave with his physical integrity guaranteed,” he added.
The operation also included the issuance of 12 search and seizure warrants at the headquarters of the Rio Civil Police and the State Court of Auditors, resulting in the seizure of documents and electronic equipment for forensic examination.
Information indicates that the motivation for the murder may be related to the territorial expansion of militias in Rio.
The decision to carry out the operation on Sunday morning was intended to surprise the suspects, who would already be in a state of alert after the approval of the plea bargain of former military police officer Ronnie Lessa by the Federal Supreme Court (STF).
Lessa, imprisoned since 2019 accused of being one of the perpetrators of the crime, collaborated with the investigations, revealing the masterminds and suggesting the interests behind the murder. According to him, the principals are part of an influential political group in Rio, with broad interests in different sectors of the state.
