Brazilian police arrested three suspects of ordering the death of Marielle Franco

This week, the Minister of Justice, Ricardo Lewandowski, had already announced that news was expected on the case, after the Supreme Court accepted a judicial cooperation agreement with the perpetrator of the murder of Marielle Franco and her driver, Anderson Gomes.

This Sunday, the Brazilian Federal Police detained three people suspected of having ordered the death of Marielle Franco, a councilwoman murdered in 2018 in Rio de Janeiro.

The detainees are federal deputy José “Chiquinho” Brazão, his brother Domingos Brazão, an employee of the Rio de Janeiro Court of Auditors, and the former head of the Civil Police Rivaldo Barbosa.

The suspects were arrested as part of the Murder Inc. operation, with the participation of the Attorney General’s Office and the Public Ministry of Rio de Janeiro.

The arrest, of a preventive nature, was ordered by the Federal Supreme Court, which has been overseeing the investigation for just over a year, when it passed to the federal sphere after around five years of being practically paralyzed in Rio de Janeiro.

This week, the Minister of Justice, Ricardo Lewandowski, had already announced that news was expected on the case, after the Supreme Court accepted a judicial cooperation agreement with the perpetrator of the murder of Marielle Franco and her driver, Anderson Gomes.

Ronnie Lessa, arrested two years ago, is a former Rio de Janeiro police officer and member of militias that operate in the city by controlling many of the illegal businesses in the favelas.

Marielle Franco was shot dead on March 14, 2018. The councilor, from the Socialism and Freedom Party (PSOL), was 38 years old, black, lesbian, born in a favela and all her political activity was dedicated to defending human rights and the fight against mafia groups that control dozens of neighborhoods in Rio de Janeiro.

On social media, Brazil’s Minister of Racial Equality and Marielle Franco’s sister, Anielle Franco, reacted to the arrest by writing: “Today is another big step towards getting the answers we have asked ourselves so much in recent years: who ordered Mari to be killed and why ”.