Marielle Franco: five years later, the murder remains unsolved

Marinete Silva, Marielle Franco's mother. Photo: Antonio Cruz/ABr

This Tuesday marks five years since the murder of Rio de Janeiro city councilwoman Marielle Franco and her driver, Anderson Gomes. The exact motives for the crime, and the identity of its mastermind remain unknown.

Ms. Franco was a rookie councilor in Rio de Janeiro and a member of the left-wing Socialism and Freedom Party (Psol) when she was shot dead on the night of March 14, 2018. She was 38 years old.

At a cabinet meeting today, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva observed a moment of silence in honor of Marielle.

Last month, Justice Minister Flávio Dino announced that the Federal Police had opened an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the murders. In his inaugural speech earlier this year, Mr. Dino said that solving the Marielle Franco case was a “matter of honor.”

“In five years, this is the first time the government has truly committed to justice in this case,” tweeted Racial Equality Minister Anielle Franco, Marielle’s sister. She added: “Finding out who ordered Marielle’s murder is a democratic duty.”

In 2019, former police officers Ronnie Lessa and Élcio Vieira de Queiroz were arrested and charged with the double murder. They are in custody awaiting trial. No one has been charged with ordering the crime.

The main investigation into the case has been conducted at the state level, with several changes in command. Over the years, the Rio police assigned five different officers to take charge of the case. At the state prosecutor’s office, three different teams were assigned to the inquiry.

A few weeks before her murder, Ms. Franco had been chosen to be the rapporteur of a city council committee to oversee the federal security intervention decreed in Rio by then-President Michel Temer. Jair Bolsonaro was the only presidential candidate at the time who did not condemn the assassination.