Brazilian Blogger Shot Dead for His Political Writings and His Fight Against the Establishment

Almost exactly one year after a blogger was shot in Copacabana for his fight against corruption, another Brazilian blogger has been gunned down, this time in Maranhão, a state in the Northeastern part of the country. Contrary to Ricardo Gama of Rio de Janeiro, Décio Sá died of his wounds. (Incidentally, Brazil does have a form of gun control.)

Decio Sa, a political reporter for the newspaper O Estado do Maranhao in northeastern Brazil, was at least the fourth journalist slain this year in the South American nation, one of the deadliest for reporters to work in.

"For sure he was killed because of his work as a reporter," Silvia Moscoso, the newspaper's state affairs editor, said by telephone. "Over his at least 17 years at the newspaper he made a long list of enemies, many of whom I imagine would love to see him dead."

"But he denounced so many people and so much corruption that it is impossible to say who was behind his murder," she added.

A gunman fired six bullets into Sa's head and chest in a restaurant in the state capital of Sao Luis on Monday night. He died instantly and the killer fled on a motorcycle driven by an accomplice who was waiting outside, the Maranhao state public safety department said in a statement.