PRIEST SLAIN IN RIO DE JANEIRO

UNCLAS BRASILIA 002011 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM PGOV SOCI BR SUBJECT: PRIEST SLAIN IN RIO DE JANEIRO REF: RIO DE JANEIRO 548 ¶1. (U) SUMMARY. Paulo Henrique Keler, a Catholic priest and advocate for Baixada Fluminense massacre victims, was murdered in Rio de Janeiro city on July 25. Brazilian police officials do not believe that the priest's involvement in the Baixada Fluminense case led to his murder. However, recent events suggest that criminal elements are trying to sabotage the trial of 11 military police officers charged in the mass killing. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (SBU) On July 25, Catholic priest Paulo Henrique Keler Machado was shot to death in the greater Rio de Janeiro municipality of Nova Iguacu. Local police detectives believe that the murder was a crime of passion or the result of an armed robbery, but church officials believe that Machado was executed because he fought publicly in support of 29 victims killed in the March Baixada Fluminense massacre (Note: Per reftel, on March 31, a death squad composed of Brazilian military police invaded two municipalities in Rio de Janeiro's Baixada Fluminense district and killed 29 people in drive-by shootings. End note). The mayor of Nova Iguacu declared three days of official mourning for Machado, and the NGO Global Justice asked the Special Secretariat of Human Rights (SEDH) to launch an independent investigation into Machado's death. (Note: On July 26, Rio poloff spoke to Nelson Bornier, Federal Deputy and former mayor of Nova Iguacu. Bornier stated that he is certain that Machado was not murdered due to his involvement in the Baixada Fluminense massacre case. End Note.) ¶3. (U) Although Machado's murder may not be linked to the Baixada Fluminense massacre, other events suggest a coordinated effort to intimidate and silence those participating in the massacre trial. On July 16 police officer Roberto Cardoso, a principal investigator in the case, was nearly killed when two men on a motorcycle pulled up next to his car and fired at him. According to police hotline information, unnamed suspects are plotting another attack against Cardoso. In May and June it was discovered that military police officers allegedly involved in the massacre used cellular phones while in jail to call and intimidate witnesses scheduled to testify in the case. ¶4. (U) ConGen Rio contributed to and cleared this cable. LINEHAN