Marielle Franco

Marielle Franco, born on July twenty-seventh, nineteen seventy-nine, was a prominent Brazilian sociologist, feminist, and human rights activist. She dedicated her life to advocating for women's rights and social justice, becoming a significant voice against police brutality and extrajudicial killings in Brazil.

Franco served as a city councillor in the Municipal Chamber of Rio de Janeiro, representing the Socialism and Liberty Party (PSOL) from January twenty seventeen until her tragic assassination in March twenty eighteen. Her tenure was marked by her unwavering commitment to addressing the systemic issues affecting marginalized communities.

On March fourteenth, twenty eighteen, while returning from a public speaking engagement in northern Rio de Janeiro, Franco and her driver were brutally murdered in a targeted attack. This heinous act was carried out by two former police officers, highlighting the very issues she fought against.

In March twenty nineteen, the suspects, Ronnie Lessa and Élcio Vieira de Queiroz, were arrested and charged with the double homicide. Their confessions and subsequent convictions for the attempted murder of Franco's Press Secretary, who was present during the attack, underscored the ongoing struggle for justice in her case.