Marielle case: Traffickers occupy land that would be a prize for Marielle’s death

The rain at the beginning of February opened huge holes on the Estrada Comandante Luís Souto, which connects Tanque to Praça Seca, in the Southwest Zone. Residents report that the force of the water caused the asphalt to give way. From one of the craters on the road, just over two kilometers long, a sofa emerged. What few know is that the region, whose access is blocked by Comando Vermelho (CV) barricades, was identified by former Military Police sergeant Ronnie Lessa — confessed executor of Marielle Franco (PSOL) and Anderson Gomes — as the promised land in ordering the murder of the councilor. The Federal Supreme Court (STF) begins judging this Tuesday another five suspects involved in the crime. Ronnie Lessa and Élcio de Queiroz have already been convicted as perpetrators.

In his award-winning collaboration, approved by the STF, the former sergeant accused the brothers Domingos and Chiquinho Brazão — counselor at the State Court of Auditors (TCE-RJ) and former federal deputy, respectively — of being the masterminds. According to him, the bargaining chip in the pact to kill Marielle would be the land and the right to explore services there — which would allow him to carry out his project of forming his own militia. At the time of the alleged negotiations described in the statement, Greater Jacarepaguá was practically dominated by militiamen. But today, after years of war, drug trafficking controls the entire territory and exploits services.

Comandante Luís Souto is also the name of the community which, according to residents, was a strong electoral stronghold of Brazão. One of the reasons: the existence of the family stud farm at the junction with Rua da Chácara.

— The Brazão have been here for over 30 years. In addition to the race horses, the rodeos attracted a lot of people and ended up being fun for everyone — reports a resident.

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Empty stud farm

GLOBO visited the stud farm, now practically abandoned. The area is taken over by bush. Stables without gates are unused, and a larger building, where parties would take place, lies in ruins. Still, even under CV’s control, no one invades the space.

Chiquinho’s defense states that the property currently belongs to the defendant’s ex-wife and that the stud farm has been deactivated since 1999. According to lawyer Cleber Lopes, the land that the whistleblower points to as a reward are located in an environmental protection area, which casts doubt on the viability of the proposal.

— Sometimes a woman appears who was a social worker at Hospital Colônia Curupaiti, who, they say, is family. She stops by to look, but no one touches anything — says another resident.

At the trial, in addition to the Brazão brothers, delegate Rivaldo Barbosa, former head of the Civil Police, appointed as the “intellectual mentor” of the crime, will also be in the dock. PM Major Ronald Paulo Alves Pereira, former head of the Muzema militia, is also responsible for murder and attempted murder, accused of monitoring the parliamentarian. Another defendant is Domingos’ former advisor, Robson Calixto da Fonseca, known as Peixe, accused of criminal association alongside his brothers. According to the agreement reached with the Court, Robson would have provided the murder weapon, while Ronald would have monitored the victim. The five are arrested.

Despite already charging for internet services in Rocha Miranda in 2018, the year of the crime, Lessa stated in his statement that the agreement with the Brazão family in the Jacarepaguá region was more advantageous, as it would allow him to explore everything that the militia usually offers: cable TV, internet, alternative transport, water and other services. The negotiated area — 31.2 hectares, the equivalent of around 30 football fields — is formed by two valleys that border Estrada Comandante Luís Souto and Rua da Chácara, the latter leading to Vila Valqueire, in the North Zone. The defendant reported the possibility of dividing the land into two subdivisions, named Nova Medellín 1 and 2, in reference to the Colombian city.

According to his calculations, there would be around a thousand lots. Half would go to the Brazão brothers; the other part, with him and the military police officer Edmilson Oliveira da Silva, Macalé, appointed as intermediary in the execution. Macalé was described as a kind of “death broker”, responsible for getting “jobs” for the shooter. He is not in the process because he was murdered in 2021. In the accounts presented by the former PM to the Federal Police, the sale of the lots would, at the time, yield around R$100 million for the group, in addition to the advantage of exploring services as a militia.

An excerpt from the collaboration provided to the PF, prosecutors from the Special Action Group to Combat Organized Crime (Gaeco) of the Public Ministry (MPRJ) and the Attorney General’s Office of the Republic — who participated in the agreement because Chiquinho Brazão held a parliamentary mandate — details the plan: “So he (Domingos) made it very clear that the subdivision was going to continue, there was a lot of money involved; at the time he said one hundred million reais, and that the accounts really add up; one hundred million reais is the profit of both subdivisions; there are five hundred lots on each side;

Today, the scenario is one of devaluation. The land was invaded and occupied irregularly. There are dozens of houses with for sale or rent signs. A resident, who asked not to be identified, says that some properties have been taken over by drug traffickers. In addition to the stud farm, the residence that belonged to a bird breeder still survives in the region. According to Ronnie, it was on his farm, in 1999, that he — while still PM — met the Brazão brothers. The place was frequented by birders, including Chiquinho and Macalé.

Before formalizing the agreement with the authorities, the collaborator wrote, in print, what he intended to report: “To list as witnesses to confirm the constant and ancient presence of at least four characters in a common environment: Ronnie, Macalé, Domingos and Chiquinho”. And in a draft, he mentioned the wife and children of the birder, who died in 2008, and even the name of one of the dogs on the farm: Zeus, a Neapolitan mastiff who, according to him, found Macalé strange.

Key witness

The creator’s widow was considered a relevant witness. She confirmed that the person who carried out the shooting, Macalé and the Brazão brothers frequented the bullfinch and boll weevil farm. The atmosphere had pool, hanging cages, cold beer and coffee. The brothers deny knowing Ronnie.

Today, she lives in seclusion in the interior of the country. The son states that both the former sergeant and Macalé did not appear to be dangerous:

— I was a child, but I remember them. They were playing pool. They never talked about deaths. The conversations were about birds and football. We only understood later what had happened.

According to the Attorney General’s Office, the motivation for the crime was the conflict between Chiquinho and Marielle, which intensified during the processing of the project that relaxed urban planning rules and legalized irregular subdivisions. Marielle opposed it as she considered it favorable to land grabbers and militias. The tight approval would have worsened the conflict.

The murder trial takes place eight years after the crime. Everyone involved denies the execution.