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RIO DE JANEIRO – Three orthopedic doctors were shot dead at a beach kiosk in an upscale part of the city early Thursday morning. Authorities say it was a targeted execution that may have been politically motivated.
According to surveillance video released by local media, shortly before 1 a.m. several men jumped out of a white sport utility vehicle and shot the three doctors who were in town for a Minimally Invasive Foot Ankle Society conference. A fourth doctor, an orthopedic surgeon, was shot but survived. There were no arrests.
The killing of three doctors on a popular tourist beach is sure to inflame the contentious debate over violence and security in Latin America’s largest country. Brazil’s murder rate has fallen in recent years, but violence remains one of society’s most persistent problems, particularly in Rio de Janeiro, a seaside metropolis where gangs, militias and militaristic police forces vie for control.
Authorities have not revealed a motive for the killings or any suspects. They said they would investigate whether the killings were politically motivated.
One of the murdered doctors, Diego Ralf Bomfim, 35, came from a prominent left-wing family. The orthopedic surgeon was the brother of federal congresswoman Sâmia Bomfim, a progressive politician who revealed last year that she had received death threats. The doctor was also the brother-in-law of Congressman Glauber Braga. Both politicians belong to the Socialism and Freedom Party.
Also killed were Marcos de Andrade Corsato, 62, an orthopedic doctor at Hospital das Clínicas de São Paulo, considered the largest hospital in Latin America, and Perseu Ribeiro Almeida, 33, who specialized in foot and ankle surgery. Daniel Sonnewend Proença, 33, who specializes in orthopedic surgery, was injured in the shooting and is said to be in stable condition.
“Given the possibility that this is linked to two federal congressmen, I have asked the federal police to analyze the investigation into the execution of the doctors in Rio,” Justice Minister Flavio Dino said Thursday morning.
The killings occurred in the coastal neighborhood of Barra da Tijuca, an affluent area with a number of waterfront apartment buildings and luxury hotels. The neighborhood where the orthopedic conference was held has long been considered one of the safest in this notoriously turbulent city.
Tadeu de Lima Barbosa, who ran the kiosk called Nana 2, told the O Globo newspaper that the men were about to leave when they were killed. “They’ve already paid the check,” he said. Even in a country long subject to extreme violence, the killings shocked many Brazilians. The shooting dominated the media Thursday morning and sparked a national online discussion about violence, politics and the tough fight against crime.
“This crime will not go unpunished!” announced Rio de Janeiro Governor Claudio Castro on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Society and institutions must understand that the fight against criminal organizations will only be possible with the strength and unity of the states and the federal government.” In a statement to X, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva expressed “sadness and outrage.”
Some people made a connection to the assassination of left-wing Rio de Janeiro politician Marielle Franco, whose murder shocked the country in 2017 and remains under investigation by authorities. “It is no coincidence that family members of left-wing politicians are being executed,” commentator Pedro Ronchi said on social media. “It is the approach to combat anyone who opposes the militia system.”