Impunity - Brazil

WHEREAS the case of Reinaldo Coutinho da Silva, murdered in 1995, was reopened by police chief Paulo Passos in August of 2000, but until now the investigation has not moved forward because of a lack of evidence, despite the fact that both the police chief and prosecutor Dennis Aceti admit that there are suspects WHEREAS the investigation of the death of Manoel Leal, murdered on January 14, 1998 was reopened in April 2000, and Judge Marcos Bandeira of Itabuna accepted the report of prosecutor Cinthia Portela and since then has been doing praiseworthy work to advance the investigation WHEREAS Edgar Lopes de Faria was killed on October 29, 1997, and the investigation has almost come to a halt because the police cannot find new leads and lack technical means and personnel to continue WHEREAS witnesses will not speak about the case because they are afraid, which makes the investigation more difficult WHEREAS radio announcer Ronaldo Santana de Araújo was murdered October 9, 1997, and the guilty parties have not yet been found and the investigations have been prejudiced by the attempt of the former mayor of Eunápolis, Paulo Ernesto Ribeiro da Silva, known as Paulo Dapé, to obtain an injunction to delay his deposition WHEREAS there is great political pressure in the region and it is possible that Paulo Dapé may seek another post which would make investigation of his possible participation in the crime more difficult WHEREAS the main defendant, Paulo Sérgio Mendes Lima gave contradictory testimony about his own participation and that of third parties that parts of the legal process against him were separated and it continues thanks to the tireless work of prosecutor João Alves da Silva Neto, who is determined to find the guilty parties WHEREAS television anchorman José Carlos Mesquita was murdered March 10, 1998, in Ouro Preto do Oeste, and the investigations were practically stopped by bureaucratic problems, waiting for the release of funds to follow the suspects' trail in another state WHEREAS the general director of police, Carlos Eduardo Ferreira, who recently took office, promised IAPA that he was prepared to solve the crime, overcoming existing bureaucratic obstacles WHEREAS Everaldo Castro Magalhães, police chief of Ouro Preto do Oeste, said the investigations have been reopened WHEREAS witnesses are afraid to talk about the crime WHEREAS society columnist Maria Nilce Magalhães was murdered July 5, 1989 and the case, cited as an example of impunity by the Chamber of Deputies' investigating committee, was stalled for a long time, despite the fact that people who are implicated have been identified WHEREAS Judge Ronaldo Gonçalves de Souza, judge of the 1st Criminal Branch of Vitória, accepted the report against the defendants and sent the case to court, and the defendants appealed his decision WHEREAS Journalist Mário Eugênio Rafael de Oliveira was killed November 11, 1984, and until now the masterminds have not been identified nor has Divino José de Matos, "Divine 45," accused of being the hit man who killed the journalist, been arrested and he has been able to delay his sentence 17 years WHEREAS the assistant chief of the department of arrests and inter-state police, Mônica Chmielewski Ferreira, assured the IAPA that the investigation would continue despite the fact that her request for wiretapping the relatives of Divino 45, which could help find the murderer, was denied WHEREAS in March of 2002 a new director will be named in that department WHEREAS radio announcer José Wellington Fernández, or "Zezinho Cazuza," was murdered on March 13, 2000, and former mayor Genivaldo Galindo da Silva, identified as the mastermind, along with another suspect, a young man known as Ninho, are still at large WHEREAS Zé de Adolfo, accused of being the hit man, is in jail awaiting trial WHEREAS the director of public safety of Sergipe, Gilberto Fernando Góis Passos, said the police are determined to arrest Galindo, but there are many arrest warrants that must be carried out in Brazil WHEREAS journalist Mário Coelho de Almeida Jr. was killed August 16, 2001 in Magé and the case is being investigated by André Carlos da Silva of the Rio de Janeiro Homicide Department and the office's director, Paulo Passos WHEREAS the Homicide Department is conducting the investigation, following new leads WHEREAS Principle 4 of the Declaration of Chapultepec says, "Freedom of expression and of the press are severely limited by murder, terrorism, kidnapping, pressure, intimidation, the unjust imprisonment of journalists, the destruction of facilities, violence of any kind and impunity for perpetrators. Such acts must be investigated promptly and punished harshly" THE MIDYEAR MEETING OF THE IAPA RESOLVES to ask the authorities of Rio de Janeiro state to provide personnel and technical equipment to Police Chief Paulo Passos so he can widen his investigations and find new leads and evidence that lead them to the masterminds and hit men in the murder of Reinaldo Coutinho da Silva to ask the authorities of Bahia to provide all necessary support to solve the case of Manoel Leal, to ensure protection of witnesses and provide the legal means for Judge Marcos Bandeira to go ahead with his work to ask the government of Mato Grosso do Sul state to make solving the murder of Edgar Lopes de Faria a priority, giving witnesses incentives to speak, under the necessary protection, and offering the materials necessary for police to follow new leads to ask the authorities of Bahia to guarantee continuation of the investigation of the death of Ronald Santana de Araújo, avoiding actions that delay the legal process and keeping suspect Paulo Sérgio Mendes Lima in prison, under the appropriate protection, until his participation is clarified as well as that of others he has identified to request the support of the government of Rondônia and other states where suspects may be at large so Police Chief Everaldo Castro Magalhães can go ahead with the investigation of the murder of José Carlos Mesquita to request the government of Espiritu Santo to make a commitment to remove the death of Maria Nilce Magalhães from the list of unsolved crimes and bring the guilty parties to justice to ask the authorities in Brasilia to guarantee the means necessary for the arrest of Divino José de Matos, accused of killing journalist Mário Eugênio Rafael de Oliveira, and provide all support to the new director of police so investigations can be intensified and the masterminds of the crimes, who are still unpunished, can be caught to ask the security department of Rio de Janeiro to support police officers André Carlos da Silva and Paulo Passos so they can apprehend those who are guilty of killing journalist Mário Coelho de Almeida Jr. to request the support of the Federal Police and police departments in other states so the Public Security Department of Sergipe can arrest former mayor Genivaldo Galindo da Silva, named as the mastermind of the murder of Zezinho Cazuza, and investigate others who may be involved in the case to ask authorities for a special witness protection program as well as equipment and personnel to find intermediaries and masterminds of crimes