Bolsonaro denies links to assassination

JAIR BOLSONARO, Brazil’s far-right president, yesterday furiously denied any link to the assassination of a Leftwing politician last year in an emotional live broadcast on Facebook.

“They’re trying to link me [to the execution], it’s not going to stick!” said Mr Bolsonaro, referring to reports by Brazil’s TV Globo that embroiled him in the murder of Marielle Franco, a Rio de Janeiro city councillor.

At times fighting back tears, the former army captain hit out at the “putrid” media in a 23-minute diatribe posted shortly before 4am on an official trip to Saudi Arabia. “I had no reason to kill anyone in Rio de Janeiro, I only heard about this councillor on the day she was executed,” Mr Bolsonaro said.

Hours earlier, the channel had connected Mr Bolsonaro to suspects in the murder of Ms Franco in March 2018, indicating the getaway driver visited Mr Bolsonaro’s home on the day of the hit.

Ms Franco, who had campaigned against police brutality, was executed on her way home, along with her driver. Investigators believe a militia death squad known as the “Office of Crime” carried out the killing.

TV Globo reporters accessed investigation records including testimony from a doorman at the Rio de Janeiro gated community where Mr Bolsonaro is neighbours with Ronnie Lessa, who was arrested in March on suspicion he pulled the trigger in the assassination.

On the day of Ms Franco’s execution, Élcio Queiroz, the suspected getaway driver, visited Mr Lessa’s home. However,

the housing complex’s records show that Mr Queiroz presented himself as a visitor for Mr Bolsonaro.

According to the doorman, Mr Queiroz’s entry was cleared after calling the president’s home and speaking to a voice he recognised as “Mr Jair”. TV Globo’s report pointed out that Mr Bolsonaro – then a member of congress – was in parliament at the time, as confirmed by congressional logs.

Marielle Franco rose to prominence in Rio de Janeiro for her work combating the rise of urban militias, gangs of often ex-security forces that run extortion rackets. Before being elected as councillor, she worked as an adviser on a parliamentary inquiry into the groups that indicted more than 200 politicians and police officers.

The links between the Bolsonaro family and urban militias are numerous, though the president maintains they are purely coincidental.

In the case of Mr Lessa, Mr Bolsonaro claimed never to have heard of him, despite them being neighbours and the president’s youngest son having dated Mr Lessa’s daughter. The president’s eldest son, Flávio, a senator, previously employed the mother and wife of one of the heads of the “Office of Crime”.

The Marielle Franco investigation has now been sent to Brazil’s Supreme Court, which is the only tribunal fit to try a sitting president. A decision will be made over whether to include Mr Bolsonaro in the inquiry officially.

Meanwhile, Left-wing groups have scheduled protests around Brazil this week, demanding the impeachment of Mr Bolsonaro.