Brazil: 3 Doctors Dead, 1 Injured Following a Suspected Politically Motivated Assassination

A tragic incident unfolded on the beachside of Rio de Janeiro, where three Brazil doctors lost their lives in a tragic shooting.

Brazilian authorities are investigating this incident, which is believed to have political motivations, according to The Guardian.

The victims were in Rio de Janeiro from São Paulo to attend an international orthopedics conference.

The deceased doctors include Diego Ralf Bomfim, aged 35, who was the brother of federal lawmaker Sâmia Bomfim.

Another doctor was wounded in the attack and subsequently transported to a hospital.

Rio state's civil police have announced that their homicide department is actively investigating the incident, seeking to ascertain the individuals responsible for the attack and the underlying motive.

The Brazilian Justice Minister, Flávio Dino, has assigned the federal police to join the investigation, as there is a hypothesis that this attack may be linked to the actions of federal lawmakers.

Bomfim is married to another lawmaker, Glauber Braga.

Sâmia Bomfim and Glauber Braga

Sâmia Bomfim and Glauber Braga are members of the same leftist party as the former Rio city councilor, Marielle Franco, who was tragically assassinated in 2018, AP reports.

Unfortunately, her case remains unsolved, and Flávio Dino suggested in July that her killing is connected to militias and organized crime that exert significant influence over parts of the city.

These militias, which emerged in the 1990s, initially comprised former police officers, firefighters, and military personnel aiming to combat lawlessness in their neighborhoods.

Over time, they expanded their activities to include providing residents with services such as security, internet, electricity, and transportation.

More recently, they diversified into real estate and even drug trafficking. These groups now control around 10% of Rio's metropolitan area, according to a study conducted last year.

Barra da Tijuca, where the incident occurred, is a sprawling beachside neighborhood known for its high-rise apartments, situated south of the more renowned Leblon and Ipanema beaches.

Attendees of the international orthopedics conference, such as an Argentine doctor named Ariel Dimarco and his wife, were shocked to hear the news, having dined at the same location just three hours before the three Brazil doctors' assassination.

Assassination of Brazil Doctors

The four Brazilian doctors were seated at an outdoor eatery in front of their hotel when a group of gunmen, after alighting from a white vehicle, fired at least 20 shots toward them.

Following the attack, the assailants quickly returned to their vehicle and left the scene.

Authorities are diligently investigating the identities of the perpetrators and the motivations behind this triple murder.

Given that the suspects opened fire without stealing anything and subsequently left the area, the leading theory is that this was an "execution," per EFE.

In addition to Diego Ralf Bomfim, the other victims were Marcos de Andrade, the director of the Institute of Orthopedics and Traumatology at the University Hospital of São Paulo, and Perseu Ribeiro Almeida, an orthopedist and traumatologist specializing in foot and ankle surgery.

The beachside eatery where this tragic incident occurred is situated across the street from the Brazil doctors' hotel.

They had settled their bill and were preparing to leave when the gunmen arrived, Fox News noted.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva expressed his "great sadness and indignation" at the news of this execution.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

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