US embassy cable - 05BRASILIA2011

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