Alright, so Brazil's Supreme Court finally got around to convicting four dudes in the Marielle Franco hit. Two pols, two ex-cops. Color me shocked. Franco, the councilwoman who was apparently really good at ruffling feathers in Rio, got whacked back in '18. Now, the question isn't if these guys were involved; the question is: were they just trigger-pullers, or were they taking orders from someone higher up the food chain? Because let's be honest, Rio's political swamp is deeper than the Mariana Trench.

We're talking about a city where corruption is practically a spectator sport. You think these guys just woke up one morning and decided, “Hey, let's off a councilwoman”? Nah. Someone, somewhere, had a vested interest in shutting Franco up. Maybe she was getting too close to some shady land deals. Maybe she was threatening the wrong people's graft pipelines. Whatever it was, it was enough to get her killed.

Now, the usual suspects in the media are probably already patting themselves on the back for “justice being served.” But let's not pretend this is some fairytale ending. This is just the first act. The real question is, will the investigation actually go further? Will they dare to dig deep enough to expose the puppet masters behind this whole thing?

Of course, that's assuming anyone actually wants to know the truth. Maybe it's easier to just throw a few guys in jail and call it a day. No need to upset the apple cart, right? Keep the gravy train rolling. But that's how these things fester. You cut off the branches, but the root keeps growing.

Franco was, by all accounts, a firebrand. She wasn’t afraid to call out the cops, the politicians, or anyone else she thought was screwing over the people. That kind of attitude doesn't exactly win you friends in high places. Especially in a place like Rio, where the line between law enforcement and organized crime is often thinner than a vegan's patience.

So, yeah, good for the Supreme Court for finally getting around to this. But let's not pretend this is some victory for truth and justice. This is just a bare minimum. The real work starts now. Time to see if they have the guts to actually clean up the swamp.

Until then, I'll remain skeptical. Because in my experience, the system is usually rigged. And the people who benefit from that system aren't exactly eager to tear it down. They might throw you a bone now and then, but they'll never let you get close to the real power.

And let's be real, the media will probably be on to the next outrage cycle next week. They'll declare it a victory and move on to whatever shiny object distracts the sheep the most. But we can't forget. We have to keep asking questions. Who ordered the hit? And why?

Because until we get those answers, Marielle Franco's death will remain a stain on Brazil's conscience. A stain that no amount of virtue signaling or woke platitudes can ever erase. The game is rigged folks, never forget that. The machine demands blood, and it doesn't care who pays the price.

Sources:

* Official Court Documents (Brazilian Supreme Court) * Independent Investigative Journalism Consortium Report (Brazil)