She was a Black and poor woman who dared to stand up to the interests of White, wealthy male militiamen. Franco had dared to fight land-grabbing operations in areas under the influence of then-congressman Chiquinho Brazão and Rio state auditor Domingos Brazão, brothers who led militias there, Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes said from the bench.
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.
While anyone drawing up a list of potential Conservative defectors to Reform UK would have put Suella Braverman near the top, this is still a big moment. Braverman is a former Conservative home secretary, a big beast of recent Tory history. And her switch emphasises the momentum Reform are showing in draining the Conservative Party. She is the fourth sitting Tory MP to join the party since the last election, and the third this month. The week before last it was Robert Jenrick, a week ago it was Andrew Rosindell, now Braverman.