Note from BW of Brazil: Although the story is no longer the lead piece on the evening news or the front page of newspapers, many of us still want to know who killed Rio Councilwoman Marielle Franco, a story that made international headlines back in March. I’ve said from the very beginning that it was a well orchestrated hit, either a death squad connected to Military Police or political interests. Last month, this really started to look like more than just conspiratorial speculation when Carlos Alexandre Pereira Maria, a collaborator of Rio councilman Marcello Siciliano (PHS) was murdered. Now, as the investigation continues to unfold, the focus is now on Siciliano himself.
Witness connects councilman and Military Police member to Marielle’s death, newspaper says
A man who served a militia in the west zone of Rio de Janeiro sought police to accuse city councilor Marcello Siciliano (PHS) and former military police officer Orlando Oliveira de Araújo of planning the execution of councilwoman Marielle Franco (PSOL). She was killed on March 14 in downtown Rio, with her driver Anderson Gomes.
The man told police he had witnessed at least four conversations between Siciliano and Araújo, in which the duo discussed the murder of Marielle.
A man who served a militia in the west of Rio sought police to accuse city councilor Marcello Siciliano (PHS) and former military police officer Orlando Oliveira de Araújo of planning the execution of councilwoman Marielle Franco (PSOL). She was killed on March 14 in downtown Rio, with driver Anderson Gomes.
The man told police he had witnessed at least four conversations between Siciliano and Araújo, in which the duo discussed the murder of Marielle. The information is from the newspaper O Globo.
The testimony was provided by this witness to the Delegacia de Homicídios (Homicide Police) of Rio. According to the report, he told police that the talks about Marielle’s death began in June of last year. The reason: the parliamentarian began to promote community actions in neighborhoods of the western zone that, although controlled by traffickers, would be of interest of the militia. According to the Rio newspaper, the witness reported that the militia headed by Araújo dominates Vila Sapê, a favela of Curicica from which militiamen attack traffickers from the Cidade de Deus community.
Marielle had begun carrying out social actions in the favela, one of the electoral bases of Siciliano, which, according to the witness, feared losing votes. Marielle’s intervention also disrupted Araújo’s plans to drive out traffickers and dominate the community.
Talks about the crime would have begun in June, but only in February Araújo, imprisoned in Bangu since October 9th, would have ordered the execution. According to O Globo news, the witness said that the former PM (Military Police member) had asked two men of his confidants to clone a car – those responsible for that service would already have been identified by the police.
According to the witness, a man identified as Thiago Macaco was tasked with identifying the routine of the councilwoman, such as the places she used to frequent and the routes she regularly took. After Marielle’s death, at least two other murders were committed as “file burning”, according to the witness. One of those victims was Carlos Alexandre Pereira Maria, 37, known as Alexandre Cabeça, who died on April 8th.
His body was abandoned in a car in Jacarepaguá, in the west zone. The other victim was retired PM Anderson Claudio da Silva, 48, who was shot several times as he got into his car at Recreio dos Bandeirantes (west zone) on April 10th.
The witness said that that he installed cable TV equipment in a favela and was threatened with death and forced to work for the militiamen. “I was coerced: I was either going to die or I was going to the paramilitary group. I became a type of security guy,” he told police, according to the O Globo report. He would have worked for the militia for about two years.
Defenses
Sought by the report, councilman Marcello Siciliano hadn’t made any statements up to the publication of this article. The defense of former PM Araújo was not located.
Jean Willys
Marielle’s death was executed by a “very expensive professional” and the police are closing the encirclement against those responsible. The information comes from the federal deputy Jean Willys (PSOL-RJ), who met on Tuesday with the chief Fábio Cardoso. Willys coordinates the Foreign House Committee that is monitoring the case.
Source: Correio Braziliense
I hope they find out sooner. This was such a huge loss.