Beto Marubo met with the minister and said he left the region after threats; cited deaths of Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira
Indigenous leader Beto Marubo, from Univaja (Union of Indigenous Peoples of Vale do Javari), said this Tuesday (June 21, 2022) to the Minister of the STF (Federal Supreme Court) Luís Roberto Barroso to feel “fear” and having left the region after being threatened.
He mentioned the deaths of British journalist Dom Phillips and Brazilian indigenist Bruno Pereira to ask for a “intervention” in Vale do Javari (AM). “I make an appeal: we have lost a great Brazilian [Bruno Pereira]. We need intervention now in Vale do Javari”said.
Marubo said that someone left an anonymous note at Univaja’s legal office in Tabatinga (AM). In addition to him, brother Eliezio Marubo, indigenist Orlando Possuelo and Francisco Cristóvão, from the technical team of indigenists, would have been threatened.
The indigenous leader told the minister that he left Vale do Javari on the recommendation of local security authorities, who pointed to risks to his life.
At the meeting, Barroso said he wanted to get to know the region and criticized the cases of violence in indigenous lands: “We are losing the sovereignty of the Amazon to organized crime”.
According to Marubo, Bruno Pereira trained the indigenous people to use current resources and technologies and technically report the increase in invasions of the Vale do Javari indigenous territory. The Univaja representative noted the involvement of organized gangs in illegal activities in the region.
According to him, Bruno was killed for having mapped these illegal activities, the logistics adopted by the members of the gangs and delivering the material to the MPF (Federal Public Ministry), in addition to having informed the Federal Police in Tabatinga.
He reported to Barroso another 2 points:
- the abandonment of the region by the State, with “Dismantling of Funai”constant allegations by the Armed Forces of lack of resources for necessary operations and the difficulty of the Federal Police in articulating actions without support from the Armed Forces;
- the consequences of the actions of international gangs involving Brazilians, Peruvians and Colombians who exploit illegal fishing (pirarucu and flatfish, as well as ornamental fish) and illegal hunting.
Maxciel’s death
The indigenous leader also said that the death of Maxciel Pereira dos Santos in 2019 may be linked to the crime involving Bruno and Dom.
For 5 years, Maxciel headed the Environmental and Territorial Management Service of the Regional Coordination of Vale do Javari and died with 2 shots to the head in Tabatinga.
“We need to investigate these gangs, this network of criminals, that protect our land”said Beto Marubo.
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