After more than five years, there is a new arrest for the death of Marielle Francoexponent of Socialism and Freedom Party (Psol; left), activist of the rights humanssymbol of struggle and rising star of the Brazilian politicsmurdered while in the car with her chauffeur Anderson Gomes with 13 shots fired on the night of March 14, 2018 in downtown Rio de Janeiro. The Brazilian Federal Police and the Rio Prosecutor’s Office served one arrest (pretrial detention) and seven search warrants as part of the investigation. The Minister of Justice, Flavio Dino, announced the arrest on his profile Twitterexplaining that there is “progress” on the case.
Two investigations have been opened into his death: the first on instigatorsthe second on material executors. The former policeman is currently on trial Ronnie Lessabelieved to be among the killers together with Elcio Vieira de Queiroz, who later became a collaborator of justice. However, it still remains a mystery as to who the real instigators of the crime are. Lessaa military police retiree, is listed as the man who opened fire on the car in which he was travelling Marielle with a machine gun, while Vieira de Queiroz he was driving the car from which the shots were fired. In 2020 he was also arrested Maxwell Simões Corrêaaccused of having contributed to the disappearance of the weapons used in the attack shortly after the arrest of Lessa. According to Dino, the story of the pentito confirms and strengthens the accusatory approach, providing elements that open up new fronts for the investigation. “There has undoubtedly been the participation of other people”, said the Minister of Justice, announcing “other news in the coming weeks”, and speaking of the participation of militia e organized crime.
Marielle Franco, 38 years old, born in a Rio favela and openly lesbian, had denounced the violence of the police and the parapolice in the favelas. The night she was murdered she was walking home after attending a meeting in downtown Rio de Janeiro. At the time of his death the city was under the general’s military control Walter Braga Netoby order of the then president, Michel Temer. The investigation by the civil police and the Rio prosecutor’s office has been in turmoil from the outset. The police changed the commissioner responsible for the investigation, indicated several principals and wasted time with a false testimony.