At the age of 38, Marielle Franco was experiencing a moment in Brazil’s political spotlight, defending social causes, human rights and the interests of minorities. A city councilmember for PSOL, a left-wing party in Brazil, the Black, lesbian sociologist, raised in the Maré favela, was shot four times with a rifle on a street in the downtown Rio de Janeiro.
She was returning home around 9 pm after attending one of the many meetings in her busy schedule. At the wheel, driver Anderson Gomes was shot three times, and also died instantly. Sitting in the backseat next to Marielle was journalist Fernanda Chaves, Marielle’s aide, who was not hit.
One year after the incident, a retired police officer and a former police officer were arrested, accused of carrying out the crime. Retired police officer Ronnie Lessa allegedly fired the shots, while former police officer Élcio Vieira de Queiroz drove the vehicle that pursued Marielle, who was shot 13 times.
The brutal crime sent shockwaves around Brazil and the world and gave international visibility to Marielle’s powerful voice. Just starting out in politics, Marielle worked to bridge social gaps in Brazil and she wasn’t shy about confronting organized crime in the so-called “Marvelous City”. In the city’s favelas, organized crime acts as a parallel authority, embodied by so-called militias.