#political-assassination

#political-assassination

Marielle Franco, 38, was a city councillor in the city of Rio de Janeiro, just one year into her term. She was considered an up-and-coming member of the left-wing Socialism and Liberty Party. A Black woman from the favelas—Brazil's densely populated, low-income neighbourhoods—Franco was best known for campaigning for the rights of LGBTQ people, racial minorities and women.

Two political strongmen from Rio de Janeiro known for defending the interests of paramilitary criminal groups, brothers Domingos and Joao Francisco Chiquinho Brazao, were convicted on Wednesday for ordering the murder of Marielle Franco, a 38-year-old left-wing city councilor, in 2018. The presiding judge said that it was a political crime in which misogyny and racism also played a role.

The mayor of the Uruapan municipality, Carlos Alberto Manzo Rodriguez, was gunned down Saturday night in the town's historic center. He was rushed to a hospital, where he later died, according to state prosecutor Carlos Torres Pina. A city council member and a bodyguard were also injured in the attack. The attacker was killed at the scene, Federal Security Secretary Omar Garcia Harfuch told journalists Sunday.