Unraveling the Marielle Franco Affair: Arrests Unmask More Questions than They Answer
The recent arrests in relation to the brutal assassination of Marielle Franco, a rising political figure championing marginalized communities, and her driver Anderson Gomes, have only scratched the surface in uncovering a labyrinth of connections that connects high-level political, military and organized crime figures. The shocking revelations embedded in this case demand a relentless pursuit of truth as the entire episode remains shrouded in mystery and political manipulation.
In 2018, when President Michel Temer led the government, to 2022 under President Bolsonaro’s military-backed rule, the case saw little to no progress due to alleged political interference and tampering. It was only when the Federal Police undertook the investigation in 2023 under then Minister of Justice Flávio Dino, that the case started moving.
At the heart of these investigations is contract killer Ronnie Lessa, whose assertion of the identities of those who hired him, opened a new line of enquiry linking top brass military officials, the Bolsonaro family and the Escritorio do Crime organized crime militia. However, the revelations made by Lessa have not yet bridged all the lacunas in this convoluted narrative.
The narrative is rife with elements straight out of a film noir – decoy testimonies, destruction of evidence, assassinations of witnesses, removal of police and prosecutors from the case. It also includes a covert operative embedded within Franco’s left-wing Socialism Liberty Party (PSOL), putting a sinister spin on an already ominous plot.
The Federal police made a premature declaration of closing the case with the arrest of Domingos and Chiquinho Brazão, brothers notoriously linked to militias, and former Rio de Janeiro Civil Police Chief Rivaldo Barbosa. However, this was criticized as a hasty move given the myriad unanswered questions still looming over the case.
Key among these unanswered questions is the striking correlation between the Bolsonaros and the killers. Their residences lay within the same exclusive condominium complex, Vivendas da Barra, with Ronnie Lessa’s daughter even dating Jair Bolsonaro’s youngest son, Renan. This raises yet another possible chain of connections that remain to be investigated in greater depth.
This case also brings into the spotlight the roles of General Walter Braga Neto and General Richard Nunes, high-ranking officials who took temporary command of Rio de Janeiro’s state security apparatus at the time of the murders. Their appointment, made by President Michel Temer’s Army Commander, General Villas Bôas was under the controversial ‘Guarantee of Law and Order’ decree, a mechanism seen as a strategic move to bolster Bolsonaro’s election. Bolsonaro’s subsequent comment to Army Commander General Villas Bôas, raises further questions on a possible insidious design behind these investigations – “General Villas Boas, what we have discussed will die between us. You are one of the reasons I am here.”
Further adding to the plot, a report by investigative journalist Humberto Trezzi, claims that General Braga Neto used the resources of the Rio Civil and Military Police to map criminal activities in Rio, accruing an exhaustive database on every member of Rio’s criminal militias. However, no substantive action seems to have been taken on these insights, posing a question on the integrity of the investigation process.
A particularly glaring discrepancy in this narrative is how on the day of the murders, Jair Bolsonaro, allowed Élcio Queiroz, a co-conspirator in the assassination plot into the condominium complex to meet Ronnie Lessa without any scrutiny.
Carlos Bolsonaro’s questionable alibi on the day of the murder indicating his absence from the City Council session and his presence at Vivendas da Barra during the time when Lessa and Queiroz were reportedly finalizing their plans also adds another layer of intrigue.
The recent arrests may perhaps be the first significant breakthrough in bringing to light the dark corners of this audacious crime. However, as these investigations continue to unfold, an undiminished pursuit of the actual masterminds and a comprehensive understanding of the interests driving this crime remains a pressing necessity.
Jeferson Miola is a seasoned journalist, member of the Instituto de Debates, Estudos e Alternativas de Porto Alegre (Idea) and former executive coordinator of the 5th World Social Forum.
