Trial begins for suspected killers of Rio de Janeiro councilwoman Marielle Franco

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

Councilwoman Marielle 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's 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 will face questions over the double deaths and also the attempted killing of Fernanda Chaves, Franco's assistant, who was injured but survived. Chaves is expected to testify in the next few days.

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 opening as the first time some of the main people allegedly responsible for her death are held to account.

Both defendants are participating in the trial by videoconference from prison. Lessa is in Sao Paulo while Queiroz is in Brazil's capital, Brasilia. The jury will hear nine witnesses, seven 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.

''Today is a mixture of feelings,'' said Anielle Franco, Marielle's sister and Lula's minister for racial equality. ''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.''

''It's not normal for us to almost wait seven years… As long as we have the strength, blood flowing through us, we will fight,'' she added.