Brazilian LGBT activist died after being shot by police

Brazilian LGBTI activist Yuri Piettro Ferreira died on September 20th after spending 28 days hospitalized in Relegango, following a gunshot wound sustained during a military police operation in Rio de Janeiro. Yuri, 26, was a dance teacher, beautician, and one of the organizers of the parade…

September 26, 2019

Brazilian LGBTI activist Yuri Piettro Ferreira died on September 20 after spending 28 days hospitalized in a municipal hospital in Relegango, after being shot during a military police operation in Rio de Janeiro.

Yuri, 26, was a dance teacher, beautician, and one of the organizers of the Bangu LGBTI+ parade. He was shot in a confusing incident on August 23 as he was returning home, an incident in which military personnel were involved.

According to witnesses who spoke to the newspaper O Globo, the police arrived in the neighborhood alerted by an alleged "irregular action", where they were attacked by drug traffickers and Yuri was caught in the middle of the confrontation.

The city of Rio de Janeiro has become one of the most unsafe places for LGBTI and Afro-descendant populations due to high-profile murders and death threats from extremist groups and the police force itself.

In March 2018, Marielle Franco, a lesbian city councilor and human rights activist from Rio de Janeiro,was murdered by Brazilian police, and those responsible have not yet been sentenced.

Marielle was shot while driving her car on a street in Rio de Janeiro. She was 38 years old and a leading figure in the fight against institutional violence in Rio's favelas. The assassins fired 13 shots at the car, also killing her driver.

According to the Sou da Paz Institute, in the first eight months of Rio de Janeiro Governor Wilson Witzel, the military police killed about 1,200 people, a 16 percent increase compared to the same period in 2018. Five of them were children.

One of the most recent cases was the killing of eight-year-old Ágatha Félix, who was shot in the back during a military operation in a Rio de Janeiro favela. The institute estimates this to be the highest number of police-related deaths since 1998.

Hate speech from the government

The hate speech promoted by Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has created a climate of intolerance towards diverse populations, according to human rights activists.

Last January, federal deputy Jean Wyllys, representing Rio de Janeiro, announced he would not assume his third term because he had received threats and feared for his life. The legislator was the only openly gay member of the Brazilian parliament.

[READ ALSO: Activists on alert over Bolsonaro's anti-LGBTI+ measures]

Bolsonaro, a 65-year-old retired military officer, has been criticized for his misogynistic, racist, and homophobic rhetoric, and has caused the South American giant to backslide on fundamental human rights, according to activists.

His speech has polarized the country and caused serious international criticism for its militaristic and extremist rhetoric.

We are present

We are committed to journalism that delves into the territories and conducts thorough investigations, combined with new technologies and narrative formats. We want the protagonists, their stories, and their struggles to be present.