President Jair Bolsonaro (no party) stated this Wednesday (3) that the indigenous leader Txai Suruí went to COP26 to “attack Brazil”.
The 24-year-old activist made history by speaking at the opening of the UN’s global climate meeting on Monday in Glasgow.
Before the eyes of the world and in the presence of leaders such as the British Boris Johnson, Suruí defended the participation of indigenous peoples in the decisions of the climate summit and recalled the murder of his friend Ari Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau.
Bolsonaro did not participate in the meeting of international leaders at COP26.
In conversation with supporters on Wednesday, Bolsonaro did not name Suruí by name.
“They’re complaining that I didn’t go to Glasgow. They took an Indian there — to replace the [cacique] Raoni—to attack Brazil. Has anyone seen any Germans attacking Germany’s fossil energy? Has anyone ever seen them attacking France because the environmental legislation there is nothing like ours? Nobody criticizes their own country. Someone saw the American criticizing the burnings there in the state of California. It’s just here,” complained Bolsonaro, in front of the Alvorada Palace.
In her speech at COP26, the activist highlighted the effects of global warming and mentioned the murder of environmental defenders.
“Today the climate is warming up, animals are disappearing, rivers are dying, our crops are not flourishing as they used to. The Earth is talking. It tells us that we have no more time,” he said.
“While you are closing your eyes to reality, the guardian of the forest Ari Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau, my childhood friend, was murdered for protecting nature,” said Suruí. “Indigenous peoples are at the forefront of the climate emergency, so we must be at the center of decisions taking place here.”
The most recent report by the NGO Global Witness points out that Brazil is the 4th country with the most murders of environmental defenders. The data point to more than 70% of cases in the Amazon and half of them targeting traditional indigenous and riverine peoples.
Suruí is the daughter of Almir Suruí, 47, one of the best known indigenous leaders in the country and a harsh critic of the Jair Bolsonaro government (no party).
Because of these criticisms, he was persecuted. At the end of last year, the president of Funai, Marcelo Xavier, asked the Federal Police to open an inquiry to investigate a “defamation crime” that had been committed by two associations linked to his father.
The reason was criticism of the actions of the federal indigenist agency in the fight against Covid-19. The case, revealed by UOL, ended up being filed in May.
During his 2019 UN General Assembly speech, Bolsonaro criticized Chief Raoni Metuktire, another indigenous leader critical of his government.
“The vision of an indigenous leader does not represent that of all Brazilian Indians. Often some of these leaders, such as Cacique Raoni, are used as a ploy by foreign governments in their informational warfare to advance their interests in the Amazon,” declared Bolsonaro In this ocasion.
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