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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Tom Phillips in Rio de Janeiro

Who killed Marielle Franco? Arrests lay bare nexus of politicians, police and paramilitaries

The former head of the Rio civil police, Rivaldo Barbosa, left, is escorted by a police officer upon arrival at the federal police headquarters in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday.
The former head of the Rio civil police, Rivaldo Barbosa, left, is escorted by a police officer upon arrival at the federal police headquarters in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday. Photograph: Daniel Ramalho/AFP/Getty Images

More than a decade has passed since Rio’s homicide chief sat down for an interview with the city’s bestselling magazine to boast of a dramatic drop in murders.

“There’s no such thing as a perfect crime,” proclaimed Rivaldo Barbosa, whom the publication described as an industrious, church-going former air force sergeant who had instructed detectives to solve 10 murders a month. “[Killers] will always leave clues,” he said. “It’s our duty to find the evidence and arrest the culprits.”

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