We want to express our deepest regret and concern for the assassination of the Councilwoman of Rio de Janeiro Marielle Franco on Wednesday night.

As a woman, lesbian, activist, Afro-descendant and from the favelas, Marielle was a tireless fighter for visibility, equality and the fight against racial, gender and class injustices.

Brazilian society needs a response from the government of Michel Temer since there are repeated reports of abuses of power by the police towards people like Marielle, who was rapporteur of the Municipal monitoring committee of the Army intervention ordered by the Executive in Rio.

We sorrow that the situation in Brazil has changed so much worse for the people since the coup against Dilma Rousseff, with major setbacks in terms of human rights with the militarization of cities, and in fundamental freedoms through the persecution of political and social leaders, as reported by our Member Organisation of the Socialist Youth of the Partido Democratico Trabahjista and by Amnesty International.

Our solidarity is with the family and the comrades of the Partido do Socialismo e da Liberdade (PSOL).

#MariellePresente!