Rio de Janeiro councilor Marielle Franco’s killers sentenced to prison

São Paulo, Brazil – The State Court of Rio de Janeiro on Thursday convicted the two killers of Marielle Franco, a city councilor and activist, and her driver, Anderson Gomes. Both men, former members of Rio’s security forces, were involved in the assassination that shocked Brazil more than six years ago.

Ronnie Lessa, identified as the gunman, was sentenced to 78 years in prison by a jury, while Élcio Queiroz, who drove the getaway car, received a sentence of 59 years.

According to the investigations, the assassination of March 14, 2018 was a calculated ambush. As Franco left a meeting with black women activists in downtown Rio, Queiroz pulled away in her car. From the back seat, Lessa fired 13 shots using a German-made HK MP5 assault rifle. Franco and Gomes died instantly. An aide accompanying Franco survived the attack.

Lessa and Queiroz were convicted of triple-aggravated double murder, attempted second-degree murder and use of a stolen vehicle. The verdict, handed down by judge Lúcia Glioche after two days of trial, brought tears to the families of the victims. The widows of Franco and Gomes embraced and applauded the decision.

Despite the harsh sentences, both men are expected to serve much less time behind bars. Due to plea agreements with authorities, Queiroz will spend a maximum of 12 years in a maximum security facility and Lessa, 18 years. Those deals, however, have given investigators key clues that helped identify the masterminds behind the crime after more than half a decade of unanswered questions.

The investigation has now moved on to the prosecution of those accused of orchestrating the assassination. Five men have been indicted: brothers Chiquinho and Domingos Brazão are accused of ordering the hit; Rivaldo Barbosa is the alleged mastermind; Robson Calixto is accused of helping dispose of the murder weapon; and Paulo Pereira was allegedly responsible for monitoring Franco’s movements to facilitate the attack. All five remain in custody.

Due to the political positions of some of the suspects, parts of the case will be tried by the Supreme Court of Brazil. Chiquinho Brazão, despite his imprisonment, is currently serving as a federal congressman, while his brother, Domingos, holds a position as an advisor to the state audit court. Barbosa, who was Rio’s police chief at the time, faces charges of orchestrating the crime and obstructing the investigation. Calixto and Pereira, like Lessa and Queiroz, have ties to Rio’s police force. Trial dates for the men have not yet been set.

Understanding the motives behind Marielle Franco’s murder requires delving into the history of corruption and organized crime in Rio, which dates back to the 1970s during Brazil’s brutal military dictatorship (1964-1985). At the time, death squads made up of police officers hunted down political dissidents. After the end of the dictatorship in 1985, these groups returned to extortion, especially in the western area of ​​Rio, where they provided “security” in exchange for payments, which quickly turned into a form of systematic extortion.

Over the years, these militias diversified their control, monopolizing transportation, utilities, gas distribution, credit services, and even real estate ventures in the areas they dominated.

It was this conflation of crime and politics that Franco, a staunch advocate of human rights, sought to expose. In 2016, Chiquinho Brazão sat alongside her on the Rio city council. That year, he proposed a law enabling real estate development on lands controlled by militias. Franco opposed the measure, arguing for affordable housing solutions for the city’s poor. Despite her protests, the legislation passed, and Franco’s resistance reportedly fueled the hostility that culminated in her assassination on the day the law was passed.

The violent surrender of Rio’s militias was vividly depicted in the 2010 film Elite Squad: The Enemy Within, directed by José Padilha. As the first sentences are announced in a case that has haunted Brazil for its courage and precision, Marielle Franco’s legacy – her relentless pursuit of social equality, human rights and justice – continues to resonate, awaiting accountability for those who ordered her murder.