The Assassination of Human Rights Activist Marielle Franco Was a Huge Loss for Brazil — and the World

I often like to say that it’s hard to know and understand the gravity and importance of a moment in history while you are in it. We are in a moment that I need you to understand.

On Wednesday, in the middle of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, a massively important civil rights leader was shot and killed in a brutal drive-by assassination. Her name was Marielle Franco. Like me, Marielle was just 38 years old.

We don’t yet know who murdered Marielle and her driver, Anderson Pedro Gomes, though early indications are that the police might have been involved. Investigators reportedly determined that the bullet casings found at the crime scene had been purchased by the Federal Police in 2006. Bullets from the same lot were used in a series of brutal attacks that killed at least 17 and wounded seven in São Paulo on one night in 2015. Two police officers and one municipal guard were convicted for the massacre.

Catégories

Type de document: