Agatha Felix, 8, was buried on Sunday (22) in a ceremony that was marked by shouts of "justice" and protests against Governor Wilson Witzel. She was shot on Friday (20), in the Complexo do Alemão, north of Rio, when returning home with her mother.
In a climate of revolt and great commotion, family and residents of the Complexo de Alamão favela attended the funeral. "We'll see how long this government will kill families, and end the promising future of our children," said Agatha's grandfather, Ailton Félix.
Military Police say they were reacting to an attack by criminals and there was an exchange of fire. Residents and family members, however, question the version and say police fired at a motorcycle that was passing near the van where the girl was.
Before the funeral, residents of Alemão held a demonstration, walking to the neighborhood of Inhaúma, where Ágatha was buried.
Only relatives and friends attended the wake. As the body left the chapel for the cemetery, the crowd shouted: "Witzel is a murderer." Led by banners against violence ("Stop killing us," one of them said), marchers walked 500 meters to the Inhauma Cemetery.
"She's in heaven now, which is the place she deserves," said her grandfather, who followed the hearse, hugged relatives and friends, venting almost the entire way. "The world is seeing what happened to my granddaughter."
Translated by Kiratiana Freelon