Brazilian religious leaders from various spiritual traditions, members of the Council of the Interfaith Rainforest Initiative in Brazil (IRI-Brazil), sent an open letter on Saturday morning, June 18, calling for the immediate investigation and punishment of those involved in the cruel murder of indigenist Bruno Pereira and journalist Dom Phillips, and for the adoption of government measures to protect the defenders of the Amazon. Bruno and Dom were taken by criminals on June 5 in the Vale do Javari region of Amazonas state.
In the document, in addition to expressing solidarity with Bruno and Dom’s families and friends, the religious leaders ask the authorities to "make every effort to ensure that the criminal network that planned, financed and carried out these murders is promptly identified and punished, in accordance with the law, in an exemplary manner, so as to stop this escalation of violence in the Amazon."
They also call for the adoption of structural measures to protect indigenous peoples, local communities and defenders of the Amazon rainforest, such as journalists, scientists, civil servants and social leaders working in the region; the strengthening and policing of the region to dismantle the criminal networks operating there; the restructuring of public bodies such as FUNAI, IBAMA and ICMBio and the strengthening of public security bodies.
The letter also reinforces the constitutional responsibility of the public authorities to ensure the full protection of the forest and the indigenous peoples. It says: "You are protected by the Federal Constitution and by Brazilian society to undertake this extremely urgent task. You have not only the public investiture, but above all the historic opportunity to change the course and prospects of the Amazon and its peoples."
The document was signed by: Reverend Agnaldo Gomes, Director of Religions for Peace Brazil, Father Marcus Barbosa, Deputy Undersecretary for Pastoral of the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (CNBB), Pastor Romi Márcia Bencke, Secretary General of the National Council of Christian Churches of Brazil (CONIC), Pastor Maruilson Souza, Member of the Coordinating Council of the Brazilian Evangelical Christian Alliance (ACEB,) Sérgio Napchan, General Director of the Israeli Confederation of Brazil (CONIB) and the National Union of Islamic Entities in Brazil (UNI).
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