Exibir código-fonte para Marielle Franco was killed for defending the right to housing (article)

== She died because she believed in land rights and the right to the favela! ==
It has been six years of frustration and demands for an efficient and conclusive investigation to answer the question: w''ho ordered the assassination of Marielle and Anderson, and why?''

As city councilwoman, [[Marielle Franco]] catalyzed the debate on housing and land rights. During her short term, she spearheaded the collective effort to introduce the concept of the ''Right to the Favela''. In 2017, her office brought together 300 people at the [[Maré Museum]] for the 1st Right to the Favela Summit. Several topics were discussed, including the right to housing and land.

The right to housing is enshrined in the Brazilian Constitution, specifically in Article Six, which establishes the social rights of all Brazilians. The right to adequate housing was established by the United Nations and encompasses several elements, such as access to urban services, suitable location, affordability, and security of tenure. Secure tenure concerns the right to remain in one’s place of residence and is closely related to land regularization policies.

Rio de Janeiro faces a historic housing deficit of about 500,000 homes despite being Brazil’s second-wealthiest state. This backdrop sets the stage for Bill 174/2016, introduced by then-Councilman Chiquinho Brazão, which relaxed requirements for land allotment regularization and irregular construction in neighborhoods with a strong presence of vigilante, off-duty police militias. While initially appearing to address a genuine demand from low-income residents in irregularly-occupied areas, the bill ultimately benefited militia activities. This is because militia groups saw this legalization as an incentive to escalate their promotion of clandestine real estate development.

Marielle took a public stance against the bill, arguing it would not provide residents of socioeconomically vulnerable areas with adequate housing, but rather exacerbate their vulnerability. Furthermore, the bill would ultimately produce medium- or high-income real estate ventures developed by militias—the primary beneficiaries of Chiquinho Brazão’s bill. Initially supported by City Hall during Mayor Marcelo Crivella’s administration, public pressure and media exposure linking the initiative to the militias forced Crivella to veto the bill. However, the veto was overturned by parliamentarians, resulting in the legalization of 149 neighborhoods that lacked proper planning.

Marielle and other opposition councilors denounced that the bill would favor land grabbing, urban expansion in areas meant for environmental conservation, and the construction and sale of irregular properties by militias, rather than the development and regularization of favelas. This illegal and mafia-like real estate chain does not operate in the shadows. Militia gangs offer these properties through real estate agencies, even offering the possibility of financing them by the militia itself. Eventually, the Rio de Janeiro Public Prosecutor’s Office filed a lawsuit resulting in the law being declared unconstitutional.

In addition to the environmental cost, these constructions do not comply with safety standards and put residents’ lives at risk. Unlike favelas—where houses are generally built over several years, in accordance with the needs of families, and by locals with experience in building on that terrain and topography—militia-run real estate developments are purely black market-driven, generating hastily-built units with dubious and inadequate materials, and precarious labor. Their last concern is resident safety. Besides the evident profit from the real estate market, militias also gain new regions for extortion through the creation of new neighborhoods, gated communities, and housing complexes.

According to the Federal Police investigation, the [[Complexo da Maré|Maré]] councilwoman’s vote against the bill made Chiquinho Brazão deeply discontent. According to the investigation, this is what led Chiquinho and Domingos Brazão, along with the former chief of Civil Police, to orchestrate the assassination of Councilwoman Marielle Franco.

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The Federal Police pointed to another fact confirming the link between Rio’s land mafia and Marielle Franco’s political femicide: the payment for the councilwoman’s gunmen would be made with land seized by the militia. In March 2019, the Federal Police arrested Military Police officers Ronnie Lessa and Élcio Queiroz, who were accused of executing Marielle and Anderson Gomes. According to the investigation, the payment for Marielle’s execution would be made through plots of land originating from land grabs in militia-controlled areas, which they reasonably expected to be legalized later.