Washington, DC — Representatives Gregory W. Meeks (NY-05), Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, and Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37), Brazil Caucus Co-Chair, released the following statement affirming the importance of accountability in the assassination of Marielle Franco, a Brazilian anti-racism and LGBTQ+ advocate and Rio de Janeiro City Council member: 

“More than 6 years after the assassination of Marielle Franco, we are encouraged by the news that a trial for her murder began today. Franco advocated tirelessly to address the marginalization and persecution of afro-descendants and LGBTQ+ communities across the Western Hemisphere. Bringing the perpetrators of her murder to justice represents a critical opportunity for Brazil to demonstrate its longstanding commitment to the rule of law and addressing political violence rooted in racial and gender-based discrimination, pursuant to the U.S.-Brazil Joint Action Plan to Eliminate Racial and Ethnic Discrimination and Promote Equality.  
 
“We express solidarity with the Brazilian people in their calls for justice for Franco and an end to the systemic discrimination of Afro-descendants and indigenous communities in Brazil and across the hemisphere.” 

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