Brazilian House of Representatives revokes Chiquinho Brazão’s mandate

The Board of Directors of the House of Representatives on Thursday (Apr. 24) declared the loss of Rio de Janeiro federal representative Chiquinho Brazão’s mandate. He is among the defendants accused of masterminding the 2018 murder of councilwoman Marielle Franco and her driver Anderson Gomes.

The decision was published in the House of Representatives’ Official Gazette and justified by a constitutional article stipulating the loss of a parliamentarian’s mandate for “failing to attend one-third of the regular sessions in each legislative session.”

As a result of the investigations, Brazão was arrested in March of last year and released earlier this month after Justice Alexandre de Moraes, the case’s rapporteur, granted him house arrest.

In his decision, Moraes upheld the medical report from the Campo Grande prison, which stated that Brazão has a “delicate health condition” and is “highly likely to experience a sudden illness with a significant risk of death.”

Along with Chiquinho Brazão, his brother, Domingos Brazão, an advisor at the Rio de Janeiro Court of Auditors, and the former head of Rio de Janeiro’s Civil Police, Rivaldo Barbosa, are defendants in the Marielle Franco case. They are currently held in federal prisons.

According to the Federal Police’s investigation, Franco’s murder is linked to her opposition to the political group led by the Brazão brothers, who have ties to land disputes in areas controlled by militias in Rio.

Defense

When contacted by Agência Brasil, Cleber Lopes, Chiquinho Brazão’s lawyer, stated that he would not comment on the decision of the House of Representatives.