The 2018 murderers of Marielle Franco, a Brazilian elected official and black and LGBT activist, were sentenced on Thursday, October 31 in Rio de Janeiro to seventy-eight and fifty-nine years in prison, respectively. On March 14, 2018, the charismatic municipal councilor of Rio, who after her death became an icon of the left and the black cause in her country, was riddled with bullets in her car in the city center. She was 38 years old. Its driver, Anderson Gomes, also died instantly.
“Justice is sometimes slow, blind […] but she comes”Judge Lucia Glioche launched when reading the sentences handed down for this double homicide by a popular jury, at the end of two days of hearing. At this announcement, the parents and relatives of the victims present in court hugged each other and burst into tears, including Marielle Franco’s sister, Anielle Franco, Minister of Racial Equality in the government of leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. “We will continue the fight […] “put an end to what murdered Marielle and Anderson, which is this political violence.”Mónica Benicio, who was a companion of the local elected representative, reacted to the press. “As she was a black woman, from a favela, her murderers thought her body was disposable”said.
Ronnie Lessa had confessed to having shot at Marielle Franco’s car with a machine gun from a vehicle driven by Elcio Queiroz, who also confessed. The first was sentenced to seventy-eight years and nine months and his accomplice to fifty-nine years and eight months. Both on trial for murder and participating by videoconference from their prison, these former members of Rio’s military police had reached a plea agreement during the investigation.
His effective sentence will be reduced thanks to this collaboration with justice, the clauses of which are confidential, judicial sources explained to Agence France-Presse. According to the G1 information site, Ronnie Lessa must serve thirteen years and his partner seven years, which will be added to the years in prison served since 2019. The prosecution had requested the maximum sentence for each, that is, eighty-four years in prison. . seclusion.
A case with international impact
The crime had a huge impact, in Brazil and beyond, and shed a harsh light on the power of organized crime and militias in Rio. These vigilante groups sow terror and grab land to illegally build a real estate fortune. Marielle Franco opposed the actions of the militias and campaigned against police violence.
Ronnie Lessa assured on Wednesday that he had been ” blind “ AND “maddened” for the sum of several million dollars offered to commit the crime. “I want to take this opportunity and, with absolute sincerity and regret, apologize to the families of Anderson and Marielle and […] to the entire society for the disastrous events that brought us here.”declared. Prosecutors questioned the sincerity of his contrition. “They decided to kill for profit”Prosecutor Fabio Vieira stated on Thursday, who accused the murderers of “sociopaths” without regret.
According to the prosecutor, the shooter and the driver denied the facts to investigators before being confused by the evidence of their participation and then sought a way out by collaborating with justice.
A deputy and his official brother indicted
“It’s not the end yet because there are still sponsors”However, Antonio Silva, Marielle Franco’s father, stressed. Arrested last March after being incriminated by Ronnie Lessa, deputy Chiquinho Brazao and his brother Domingos Brazao, advisor to the Court of Accounts of Rio, appeared last week before the Supreme Court, as did the former police chief. civil of the city. , Rivaldo Barbosa.
The two brothers, linked to the militias according to the murderer, denied any involvement, as did the police officer, accused of obstructing the investigation. The instruction continues. “Who gave the order? [de l’assassinat] “He gave it for a financial reason because it was convenient for him to silence Marielle’s voice.”Prosecutor Vieira said Thursday.
