Brazil Gov’t: ‘Probable’ Police Involvement In Franco’s Murder

Brazil Gov’t: ‘Probable’ Police Involvement In Franco’s Murder

Above Photo: A protest against Franco’s shooting one month after her death, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil April 14, 2018. | Photo: Reuters

Brazil’s government declared Monday that human rights activist Marielle Franco was “very likely” killed by “militias,” according to Minister of Public Security Raul Jungmann.

“There are basically one or two promising leads: I would say that in one of them, investigators have moved forward significantly. The most probable hypothesis is the involvement of Rio de Janeiro’s militias,” said Jungmann in an interview with local radio CBN.

Militias refer to criminal groups whose members are former police officers or active and corrupted officers, controlling large parts of the city. They function as paramilitary groups and compete with other drug-trafficking groups over the control of favelas, affecting primarily the marginalized populations living there.

Franco was renown for openly denouncing their activities, defending the rights of the poor communities of Rio de Janeiro against police brutality and corruption.

She was raised and lived in Mare, a complex of favelas where about 130,000 residents now must contend with the presence of Rio’s two most powerful gangs – the Red Command and the Pure Third Command, along with militias made up of off-duty or retired police and fireman.

In February, soldiers began the occupation of Mare, as they did for over a year between 2014 and 2015, as part of the Brazilian government’s military intervention in the state of Rio de Janeiro which began on Feb. 16.

Brazil Remembers Marielle, a Month After Her Assassination

Brazilians chanted, “Marielle, Present,” and “Justice for Marielle,” as they commemorated the slain Black Brazilian feminist human rights activist and councilwoman, Marielle Franco, marking one month since her assassination.

Franco was shot dead in a car on Joaquim Palhares Street, in the Central Region of Rio, at about 9:30 p.m. on March 14. Community members held vigils and memorials around Rio de Janeiro on Saturday denouncing Franco’s murder.

Deemed as a rising star in the Socialism and Liberty Party (PSOL), Franco’s death has sent shockwaves among community members who she was fighting for.

The slain 38-year-old activist known for her outspokenness about police brutality against favela residents has left several communities in Brazilian cities, of Recife, Belem, Salvador, Natal, Sao Paulo, enraged where people have protested her assassination, demanding answers from the government.

Franco was raised and lived in Mare, a complex of favelas where about 130,000 residents now must contend with the presence of Rio’s two most powerful gangs – the Red Command and the Pure Third Command, along with militias often made up of off-duty or retired police and fireman, who are feared as the gangs.

Source Article from https://popularresistance.org/brazil-govt-probable-police-involvement-in-francos-murder/

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