Trial begins in the assassination of Rio de Janeiro councilwoman Marielle Franco

By ELÉONORE HUGHES
Updated 9:37 PM CDT, October 30, 2024

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — A trial opened Wednesday against two former policemen accused in the 2018 killing of Rio de Janeiro councilwoman Marielle Franco, who was Black, bisexual and from humble roots and who has become a major icon of Brazil’s political left.

Franco, 38, and her driver, Anderson Gomes, were killed in a drive-by shooting on March 14, 2018. Ronnie Lessa is accused of firing the gun, while Élcio Queiroz is accused of being the driver.

Two brothers with purported ties to criminal groups — one of them a sitting federal lawmaker — have been accused of ordering the killing, allegedly because the councilwoman’s work went against the interests of those gangs, known as militias. They have yet to go on trial.

Lessa and Queiroz, arrested in 2019, have signed plea bargains confessing their roles, but the jury has final word on their guilt. Jurors could technically overrule the plea bargains, but analysts say that is unlikely.

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Hundreds of demonstrators gathered Wednesday in front of the trial venue in Rio de Janeiro, many carrying sunflowers and shouting “Justice!”

“Today we have a chance to change the face of justice in Rio de Janeiro and in Brazil,” Antônio Francisco da Silva Neto, Marielle’s father, told journalists before the trial began. Her mother, sister and daughter were also on site, as was Anderson’s wife, Agatha Arnaus.

More:
https://apnews.com/article/brazil-marielle-franco-trial-police-c20b31ebb5f152bfaddf2a0c44722d0b





Marielle Franco and her driver Anderson Gomes




Marielle with her father, Antônio Francisco da Silvdriver Anderson Gomesa Neto







Protests of the assassination of Marielle Franco