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Anielle Franco: ‘Genocide’ of black Brazilians

Brazil’s Minister of Racial Equality Anielle Franco: 'Genocide' of black Brazilians

Brazil’s Minister of Racial Equality Anielle Franco says ‘black people in Brazil…are not seen as human beings’

Brazil’s Minister of Racial Equality Anielle Franco has told the ´óÏó´«Ã½ that black Brazilians, who often make up the poorest sections of society, face ‘genocides’ through state sanctioned violence.

Speaking to HARDtalk’s Stephen Sackur, Ms Franco said there were ‘many examples of people who were killed during the history of our country, because black people in Brazil, unfortunately, are not seen as human beings’.

Anielle Franco’s sister Marielle Franco, a city councillor in Rio de Janeiro, was shot dead alongside her driver Anderson Gomes in 2018. The 38-year-old black activist had been a campaigner for social justice and an outspoken critic of police violence in Brazil’s densely populated, poor neighbourhoods, known as favelas. Two former police officers have been charged with their murders and are awaiting trial. Both deny the charges.

After Lula da Silva’s victory over populist incumbent Jair Bolsanaro in last year’s presidential election, Anielle Franco was appointed as Minister of Racial Equality in his new cabinet. The minister said her sister was ‘a victim of the genocide in this country’ and has vowed to continue her work to combat racism in Brazil.

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