On March 24, the Brazilian Federal Police (PF) arrested three suspected masterminds of the murder of Marielle Franco, then a councilwoman in Rio de Janeiro, and her driver Anderson Gomes, in March 2018. Those arrested were Domingos Brazão, current advisor to the State Court of Auditors, Chiquinho Brazão, a federal deputy from Rio de Janeiro, and Rivaldo Barbosa, former head of Rio’s Civil Police.
The arrest operation was carried out jointly by the PF, the Attorney General’s Office and the Rio de Janeiro Public Prosecutor’s Office, based on the plea bargain of Ronnie Lessa, who carried out the crime and named them as the masterminds, in a plea bargain approved last week. According to information from the PF, the arrests were carried out this Sunday because there were suspicions that the three were waiting for an operation.
In addition to the arrests, the PF also raided the Rio Civil Police headquarters and the State Court of Auditors.
On social media, the Minister of Racial Equality, Anielle Franco, also Marielle’s sister, expressed relief at the news of the arrests. “God knows how much we dreamed of this day! Today is another big step towards getting the answers we’ve been asking ourselves for so long: who ordered Mari’s murder and why? I thank the PF, the federal government, the Federal and State Public Prosecutor’s Offices, and Minister Alexandre de Moraes for their commitment. We are closer to justice,” she wrote.
On the same social network, the Minister of the Supreme Federal Court (STF) Flávio Dino made a post evoking a biblical passage that deals with faith and justice, in what was understood by internet users as a metaphorical mention of prison. “Palm Sunday, Sunday of celebration of faith and justice. Book of Psalms: ‘Though the wicked flourish like grass, and those who do wickedly flourish, they are destined for eternal loss. Like the palm tree, the righteous shall flourish, they shall rise like the cedar of Lebanon,'” he posted.
Six years
The 14th was the six-year anniversary of the assassination of Marielle and Anderson, who were shot dead in an ambush in the center of Rio on their way back from a meeting. The case had international repercussions, but has still not been fully solved. Even with the arrests, the motives behind the crime have yet to be clarified.
In July 2023, former military policeman Élcio Queiroz, accused of the crime, gave details of the execution of the operation. At the turn of the year, Ronie Lessa, also a former MP, who was accused of firing the shots, denounced the advisor to the Rio de Janeiro State Court of Auditors (TCE-RJ), Domingos Brazão, as the mastermind.
Masterminds behind Marielle Franco’s murder face repercussions
The Minister of the Secretariat of Communication of the Presidency of the Republic (Secom), Paulo Pimenta, recalled that, at the beginning of last year, the Ministry of Justice authorized the PF to join the case, which until then was conducted only by the Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro. “Since the beginning of President Lula’s mandate in January 2023, measures have been taken and Federal Police teams authorized by the Ministry of Justice have joined the investigations. These measures were decisive in clarifying the murder of councilwoman Marielle Franco and her driver Anderson.”
“The federal government will continue to fulfill its role in combating these violent gangs that commit serious crimes against Brazilian families. The continuity of the investigations will certainly shed light on several other crimes. Congratulations to the Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office, the Rio de Janeiro Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Supreme Court, which were decisive in elucidating this crime,” continued Pimenta.
Marcelo Freixo, president of Embratur, the Brazilian Tourist Board, and a friend of Marielle’s, also commented on the networks. “Today the arrest of the Brasão brothers and Rivaldo Barbosa, former head of Rio’s Civil Police, makes it clear who killed, who ordered the killing and who didn’t let the investigation take place. This is an important point to explain why we’ve been in anguish for six years,” he said.
Freixo also touched on the subject in other posts, recalling the relationship between the murders and powerful figures in Brazil. “In 2008… we wrote in the report that crime, police and politics are not separate in Rio. Sixteen years later, with Marielle’s case solved, I reaffirm the same sentence. A member of the Court of Auditors, a councillor (now a deputy) and a police chief have been arrested, involved in Marielle’s murder,” he said.
He also showed some surprise and indignation at the fact that Rivaldo positioned himself as a supporter of Marielle’s family after the murder. “He was head of the Civil Police and received the families the next day, together with me. Now Rivaldo is in prison for having acted to protect the masterminds of the crime, preventing the investigations from moving forward. That says a lot about Rio de Janeiro,” Freixo wrote.
The president of the Senate Human Rights Commission, Paulo Paim (PT-RS), also joined those celebrating the news of the arrests, “A great relief after an agonizing wait of more than six years. May justice for Marielle and the driver finally be done. May the truth prevail and reveal all the facts. Solidarity with the relatives.”
Maria do Rosário (PT-RS), who is the former Minister of Human Rights and currently sits on the board of the Chamber of Deputies, said that this Sunday’s news was a “milestone”.
“The arrest of those suspected of masterminding the murder of Marielle Franco is a milestone in the history of Brazil and in the fight against political violence and the attempt to silence the voices of courage. If they thought that by killing Marielle they could stop the struggle, they were wrong. She is more alive than ever,” she said.
This article was adapted and translated from two articles originally published on Brasil de Fato, one written by Cristiane Sampaio.
