Trial begins in the assassination of Rio de Janeiro councilwoman Marielle Franco

RIO DE JANEIRO — A trial opened Wednesday against two former policemen accused in the 2018 killing of Rio de Janeiro councilwoman Marielle Franco, who was Black, bisexual and from humble roots and who has become a major icon of Brazil's political left.

Franco, 38, and her driver, Anderson Gomes, were killed in a drive-by shooting on March 14, 2018. Ronnie Lessa is accused of firing the gun, while Élcio Queiroz is accused of being the driver.

Two brothers with purported ties to criminal groups — one of them a sitting federal lawmaker — have been accused of ordering the killing, allegedly because the councilwoman's work went against the interests of those gangs, known as militias. They have yet to go on trial.

Lessa and Queiroz, arrested in 2019, have signed plea bargains confessing their roles, but the jury has final word on their guilt. Jurors could technically overrule the plea bargains, but analysts say that is unlikely.

Hundreds of demonstrators gathered Wednesday in front of the trial venue in Rio de Janeiro, many carrying sunflowers and shouting “Justice!”

“Today we have a chance to change the face of justice in Rio de Janeiro and in Brazil,” Antônio Francisco da Silva Neto, Marielle’s father, told journalists before the trial began. Her mother, sister and daughter were also on site, as was Anderson’s wife, Agatha Arnaus.

“These individuals, confessed defendants, need to be condemned in an exemplary way so that the message gets across that they are not God, they cannot take the life of any human being and go unpunished," he added.

Known universally by her first name, Marielle, the killing was seen in Brazil as an attack on democracy. Raised in one of Rio’s poor communities known as favelas, she became known for her efforts to improve the lives of ordinary Rio residents. Following her election in 2016, she fought against violence targeting women while defending human rights and social programs.

Outrage over her killing sparked mass protests. Her silhouette can be found printed on T-shirts and painted on walls nationwide.

The accused faced questions over the double deaths and also the attempted killing of Fernanda Chaves, Franco’s assistant and friend, who was injured but survived.

Chaves recounted Marielle’s final moments before the court on Wednesday.

“We were talking about things about life, work, domestic things. At one point she was doubting whether to stop or not to buy bread at the bakery ... It was when the car was going very slowly that I heard a rush... As an immediate reflex, I got down,” Chaves said. “I noticed (Anderson’s) right arm was off the steering wheel, Marielle was immobile. I felt her arm on top of me, the weight of her body against me.”

Lessa told the court that he fired the shots to Marielle's head, and that Anderson was killed accidentally.

“I took the risk, knowing that the ammunition wasn’t appropriate. It was a 9mm ammunition... if it had been a revolver, for example, only the councilwoman would have died, not Anderson,” he said.

Prosecutors are seeking the maximum prison sentence for the double killings, which could reach 84 years each, according to Rio’s public prosecutors’ office.

In September, Edilson Barbosa dos Santos was convicted of dismantling the car used in the drive-by shooting. But many see Wednesday's trial as the first time some of the main people allegedly responsible for her death are held to account.

Both defendants participated in the trial by videoconference from prison. Lessa is in Sao Paulo while Queiroz is in Brazil’s capital, Brasilia. The jury heard eight witnesses, six called by the state public prosecutors’ office and two others by Lessa’s defense. Queiroz’s defense opted not to call any.

Federal authorities started investigating the case in earnest once leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva took office in 2023.

In March, Federal Police detained federal lawmaker Chiquinho Brazão and his brother Domingos Brazão, a member of Rio state’s accounts watchdog, on suspicion of ordering Franco’s killing. Both are allegedly connected to the militias, which illegally charge residents for various services, including protection. They have denied any involvement in the killing or with militias.

In his plea bargain, Lessa told police that the two politician brothers hired him and informed him that the then-chief of the state’s civil police, Rivaldo Barbosa, had signed off beforehand. Barbosa was also arrested in March.

Police accuse the politicians of ordering her killing because she was an obstacle to militias’ interests.

Guilhermo Catramby, a delegate of the Federal Police, joined the case at the request of the then Minister of Justice, Flávio Dino, early 2023. He said the motivation of the crime was “undoubtedly” Marielle’s work regarding land rights, even though it wasn’t central to her mandate.

“Marielle’s mandate … (was) a thorn in the side of militia interests, especially in the West Zone of Rio de Janeiro,” he added.

Before the trial started, Anielle Franco, Marielle’s sister and Lula’s minister for racial equality, said the day bought a “mixture of feelings.”

“It’s a certainty that we fought hard and we’re going to keep fighting. Not just for Mari, for Anderson, but for everyone who will come. For my daughters, for my granddaughters and for all the generations to come. So that we have a safer place."