Outrage in Paraguay after Brazil cartel boss kills woman in his prison cell

Marcelo Pinheiro’s murder of Lidia Meza, 18, in an apparent attempt to avoid extradition, highlights a culture of impunity

Laurence Blair in Rio de Janeiro
Thu 22 Nov 2018 04.16 EST

Paraguayans have been left shocked and outraged after a jailed cartel boss murdered a young woman inside his high-security cell, in an apparent attempt to avoid extradition to neighbouring Brazil.

The case has underscored the scale of criminal impunity in the landlocked South American country – and fuelled fears of more violence to come.

Marcelo “Piloto” Pinheiro was seized in a joint operation by Brazilian, Paraguayan and US anti-drug authorities in December. A leading figure in Rio de Janeiro’s sprawling criminal group Comando Vermelho (Red Command), he had been on the run from Brazilian authorities and operating from Paraguay since 2012.

. . .

After his capture, Pinheiro sought to implicate a web of politicians, judges and police and admitted that he hoped to stay in a Paraguayan jail – which are notorious for offering luxury “VIP cells” in exchange for bribes – rather than face tough justice in Brazil. “Paraguay is the country of impunity and corruption,” he told reporters.

More:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/22/paraguay-murder-brazil-cartel-boss-marcelo-pinheiro-piloto