BRAZIL: Thousands pay tribute to murdered environmental activists

Record ID: 741530

  • Title: BRAZIL: Thousands pay tribute to murdered environmental activists
  • Date: 28th May 2011
  • Summary: MARABA, BRAZIL (MAY 25, 2011) (REUTERS) GENERAL VIEW OF WAKE HELD FOR AMAZON ACTIVISTS JOSE CLAUDIO RIBEIRO DA SILVA AND MARIA DO ESPIRITO SANTO WHO WERE SHOT DEAD CLOSE OF CANDLE AND CHRISTIAN CROSS RELATIVE STANDING NEXT TO COFFIN CLOSE OF CANDLE VARIOUS OF DA SILVA'S COFFIN RELATIVES STANDING NEXT TO DA SILVA'S COFFIN CLOSE OF CANDLE AND FLOWERS RELATIVE LOOKING AT COFFIN CLOSE OF FLOWERS AND CHRISTIAN CROSS MARABA, BRAZIL (MAY 26, 2011) (REUTERS) GENERAL VIEW OF DEMONSTRATORS DURING PROTEST CLOSE OF BONFIRE DURING PROTEST GENERAL VIEW OF POLICE OFFICERS GENERAL VIEW OF DEMONSTRATORS MARCHING AND PAYING TRIBUTE TO DA SILVA AND SANTO VARIOUS OF PEOPLE MARCHING, CARRYING CROSSES DURING PROTEST AND TRIBUTE VARIOUS OF MAN DIGGING GRAVE RELATIVES AND FRIENDS CARRYING COFFIN GENERAL VIEW OF PROCESSION DURING FUNERAL VARIOUS OF RELATIVES CARRYING COFFIN AND PLACING IT INTO GRAVE CLOSE OF LAND AND FLOWERS OVER COFFIN (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) RUBBER TAPPER CHARLES TROCATTI. SAYING: "I think their effort to conserve the forest is the real reason of their death. We live in a region where deforestation and cattle ranching prevail, and for these things to happen it is necessary that other models, such as an environment-friendly rural settlement, are dismantled." COFFIN BEING PLACED INTO GRAVE (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) SISTER OF MURDERED ACTIVIST, CLAUDENICE DA SILVA, SAYING: "We are very afraid of retaliation because we are not going to let things stay like this -- we will keep investigating until we discover who ordered the murder and who killed them. And here is the only place for us to stay. We fear for our lives." VARIOUS OF GENERAL VIEWS OF GRAVES
  • Embargoed: 12th June 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Brazil, Brazil
  • Country: Brazil
  • Reuters ID: LVA3F58P5QES7Y2CTC59BB27GH7D
  • Story Text: Nearly 3,000 people gathered on Thursday (May 26) to pay tribute and bury the environmental activists who were shot dead in the northern Brazilian state of Para earlier this week.
    Rubber tapper Joao Claudio Ribeiro da Silva and his wife, Maria do Espirito Santo, were ambushed and killed on Tuesday (May 24) as they rode by a bridge on their motorbike, near the city of Maraba.
    It was not immediately clear who shot the couple, but Da Silva had previously warned police of death threats against him by loggers and cattle ranchers.
    Friends and relatives held a wake for both victims on Wednesday (May 25) night and marched through the streets of Maraba on the next day, protesting against the violent crime.
    Da Silva, who frequented local and international seminars on Amazon protection, worked in defense of forest dwellers who make a living by extracting renewable resources such as nuts, rubber and fruits.
    Rubber tapper Charles Trocatti said the victims' activism could have angered loggers and ranchers who rule the region.
    "I think their effort to conserve the forest is the real reason of their death. We live in a region where deforestation and cattle ranching prevail, and for these things to happen it is necessary that other models, such as an environment-friendly rural settlement, are dismantled," he said.
    Their death renewed concerns over the often brutal conflicts surrounding natural resources in Latin America's largest country -- and comes at a particularly sensitive time for the government.
    The lower house of Congress passed a controversial bill on Tuesday that loosens environmental restrictions in rural areas and concedes partial amnesty to farmers who have illegally cleared land for decades. Environmentalists say the proposed law represents a surrender to farming interests and would set back recent progress in protecting the Amazon.
    President Dilma Rousseff ordered a federal police investigation into the murders of Da Silva and his wife, her office said. Brazilian federal police normally deal only with homicides in cases of human rights violations.
    Da Silva's sister, Claudenice Silva, said she would not rest until she discovered who was guilty for the crime.
    "We are very afraid of retaliation because we are not going to let things stay like this -- we will keep investigating until we discover who ordered the murder and who killed them. And here is the only place for us to stay. We fear for our lives," she said.
    Da Silva and Santo were active in the same organization of forest workers that was founded by legendary conservationist Chico Mendes, who was assassinated by ranchers in 1988.
    Each year dozens of people in Brazil are killed in land disputes, many in the sprawling and sparsely policed Amazon region.
    U.S.-born nun Dorothy Stang, who defended poor peasants and opposed the destruction of the Amazon rain forest, was shot dead in February 2005.
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