Anielle Franco

Marielle Franco was a Rio de Janeiro city councilwoman and activist who was murdered in 2018. Growing up in a favela, she became a prominent critic of Rio's powerful militia groups. Franco was 38 years old when she and her driver were shot dead. The case exposed deep ties between politics and organized crime in Rio de Janeiro. She is newsworthy because, after nearly eight years, Brazil's Supreme Court has convicted two influential politician brothers, Domingos Inácio Brazão and João Francisco Inácio Brazão, of ordering her murder. They have been sentenced to over 76 years in prison. The trial and conviction highlight the ongoing struggle against corruption and impunity in Brazil and the dangers faced by activists and politicians who challenge powerful criminal organizations.