July 22, 2022

14:07

Marcela Leiros – from Amazon Agency

BRASILIA – The National Indian Foundation (FUNAI) said on Thursday, 21, that Ricardo Henrique Rao, a former employee of the body, will be prosecuted for crime against honor for attacks against the president of the institution, Marcelo Xavier. In a note, the foundation said that it has contacted the Spanish police about what happened in the European country and will be asked for compensation for moral damage.

During the 3rd Meeting of High Authorities of Ibero-America with Indigenous Peoples that took place in Madrid, Spain, Rao called Xavier a “militia member” and a “murderer”, and blamed him for the deaths of Bruno da Cunha Araújo Pereira, a licensed employee of the foundation, and of Dominic Mark Phillips, a British journalist. After the episode, the president of Funai withdrew from the scene.

“The foundation also informs that, about the case, steps have been taken with the Judicial Police of Spain. It is important to emphasize that, for safety reasons, the president of Funai opted to voluntarily leave the venue of the event, given the hostile and aggressive attitude of the demonstrator. Including, the regrettable attacks will be subject to legal action for crime against honor and action for compensation for moral damages”, says the document.

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Understanding the case

Bruno Pereira and Dom Phillips were assassinated in Atalaia do Norte (AM) on June 5. As a licensed employee without remuneration from Funai, the indigenous expert worked with the Union of Indigenous Peoples of Vale do Javari (Univaja) in the protection of the Vale do Javari Indigenous Land (TI).

The Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office (MPF) denounced three people on Thursday 21st for double murder in the first degree and concealment of a corpse: Amarildo da Costa Oliveira (known as “Pelado”), Oseney da Costa de Oliveira (“Dos Dantos”) and Jefferson da Silva Lima (“Pelado da Dinha”). According to the agency, the motive for the murders was the fact that Bruno had asked Dom to photograph the boat of the accused who were practicing illegal fishing in indigenous territory.

Ricardo Rao was a colleague of Bruno Pereira in the Funai’s Indigenist Policy Training Course. In 2019, he delivered, to the Human Rights and Minorities Commission of the House, a dossier that linked the militia and organized crime to murders of indigenous people in Maranhão. After that, he went into exile in Europe and a year later was exonerated from Funai by Marcelo Xavier.

After Bruno Pereira’s death, accusations of persecution within FUNAI and of an anti-indigenous policy, commanded by Marcelo Xavier, grew stronger. So much so that senators and federal lawmakers, who are following the investigation into the double homicide, have requested Xavier’s immediate removal from the position he currently occupies.

Check out the note in full:

The National Indian Foundation (Funai) comes to the public to express repudiation of the verbal attacks made against the president of the foundation, Marcelo Xavier, on Thursday (21), in Madrid, Spain, during the XVI Extraordinary General Assembly of the Fund for the Development of Indigenous Peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean (Filac).

Funai regrets what happened and emphasizes that such attitudes are irresponsible, violent and anti-democratic, making any kind of healthy and productive dialogue impossible, which should always be based on respect between the parties. The foundation understands that public policies cannot be built based on offenses and arguments without foundation and evidence. Such attitudes are not compatible with the democratic rule of law.

The foundation also informs that, about the case, steps have been taken with the Judiciary Police of Spain. It is important to emphasize that, for safety reasons, the president of FUNAI opted to voluntarily leave the venue of the event, given the hostile and aggressive attitude of the demonstrator. Including, the unfortunate attacks will be the object of a lawsuit for crime against honor and compensation for moral damages.

The demonstrator who aggressively made the verbal attacks was a Funai employee until 2020, and was dismissed on that occasion for not having fulfilled the probationary conditions. Finally, the foundation reinforces that, as a public institution, based on the supremacy of public interest, it does not agree with any kind of offensive conduct, repudiates any form of disrespect, and remains open to dialogue with different sectors of society.