This week, we discuss the murder of Marielle Franco, Rio de Janeiro’s extraordinary city councilwoman. Black, queer, and hailing from the north zone favela of Maré, Marielle had been a vocal human rights advocate and was one of the city’s most treasured politicians.
Her deaths bear all the classic signs of an execution. She’s certainly not the only Brazilian politician to be killed in recent years; on average, one Brazilian politician has been killed every month since January 2017. But Marielle’s death, evoking concerns over police corruption, Rio’s current federal intervention and the state of minority rights, brings a lot of questions to the table.
