On December 23, 2014, Marcos de Barros Leopoldo Guerra was gunned down by unidentified assailants on a motorcycle in Ubatuba, a city on the northern coast of São Paulo state, according to news reports. The gunmen opened fire on Guerra from outside his home through a kitchen window, reports said. The blogger’s father said that he was in the house when he heard the sound of a motorcycle accelerating and then several gunshots, news reportssaid. Guerra died after being struck by bullets in the face, back, and abdomen.
Guerra, 51, was critical of local authorities on his blog, Ubatuba Cobra, and often accused them of corruption, according to local press reports. He was also a lawyer. Residents said Guerra had received threats for the articles on his blog, according to reports. In one of his last posts, Guerra questioned local authorities over the alleged diversion of public funds.
“One of the hypotheses that we’re investigating is that the crime may have been motivated by one of his publications on the blog,” Ubatuba Civil Police chief Fausto Cardoso told the Brazilian press at the time of Guerra’s killing.
Guerra’s case was closed on October 21, 2020, and no suspects have been arrested, according to details of the case listed on the website of São Paulo State Judiciary, which CPJ reviewed.
CPJ emailed Ubatuba’s judiciary branch a formal letter requesting a copy of the case but didn’t get an immediate response.