Brazil’s federal police arrest men suspected of ordering 2018 killing of Rio de Janeiro councilwoman

By The Associated Press on March 24, 2024.

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) – Brazil’s federal police arrested on Sunday the men suspected of ordering the killing of Rio de Janeiro councilwoman Marielle Franco in 2018.

Two federal police sources with knowledge of the investigation told The Associated Press that congressman Chiquinho Brazão and his brother Domingos Brazão, a member of Rio state’s accounts watchdog, were detained. Both have connections to criminal groups known as militias, who illegally charge residents for security and other benefits.

Rivaldo Barbosa, the head of Rio’s police when the murder took place, was also arrested for alleged obstruction of the investigation, the sources said.

The brutal assassination of the 38-year-old Black, bisexual Rio de Janeiro city councilwoman shook Brazil profoundly and reverberated across the world.

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