Washington, D.C. (July 19, 2022) – Today, Representatives Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ 3rd District) and Susan Wild (D-PA 7th District) released a letter to the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urging the State Department to insist on an impartial investigation into the circumstances surrounding the murders of Indigenous rights expert Bruno Pereira and British journalist Dom Phillips in the Amazon in June 2022, and to prosecute all those involved. Their letter also asks the Biden Administration to meet with representatives of Brazilian Indigenous Peoples. The letter was signed by a total of 23 representatives, and asked for the formulation of a robust U.S. policy agenda for addressing the ongoing threats to the Indigenous Peoples of Javari Valley in Brazil. [1]
In response, Diana Ruiz, Head of Forests at Greenpeace USA, said:
“Climate justice depends on swift action to stop human rights abuses, attacks on environmental and human rights defenders, and the rampant environmental destruction that is taking hold in Brazil. The murders of Bruno and Dom expose the grave danger that Indigenous Peoples and environmental defenders face when they stand up against illegal mining, logging, and powerful interests of criminal networks. The U.S. has a responsibility to act as time is of the essence for Indigenous Peoples of Javari Valley and those who work and advocate for their protection.”
Eliésio Marubo, Indigenous lawyer for The Union of Indigenous Peoples of the Javari Valley (UNIVAJA), recently traveled to Washington, D.C. between July 12 and 15, 2022, to discuss the murders of Bruno and Dom and the pressing situation in Javari Valley. [2] Marubo met with members of the U.S. Congress, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, and the State Department, as well as journalists and allies. [3] Following Marubo’s visit, Representatives Grijalva and Wild issued the letter to Secretary of State Blinken. Eliésio Marubo was accompanied by Amazon Watch, the Due Process of Law Foundation, and Greenpeace USA.
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Notes:
[1] The letter also asked that the Biden Administration establish coordination with other governments, international experts, and international organizations (including the United Nations human rights bodies and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights) to monitor and respond to this moment.
[2] Amazon Watch, Media Advisory: Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira: Indigenous Lawyer Who Coordinated Search Will Travel to DC to Build Congressional Support for Justice. 8 July 2022.
[3] The Guardian, 16 July 2022 coverage of Marubo’s meetings in Washington, DC: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jul/15/dom-philips-bruno-pereira-murders-brazil-indigenous
Contact: Katie Nelson, Greenpeace USA Senior Communications Specialist, [email protected], +1 (678) 644-1681
Greenpeace USA is part of a global network of independent campaigning organizations that use peaceful protest and creative communication to expose global environmental problems and promote solutions that are essential to a green and peaceful future. Greenpeace USA is committed to transforming the country’s unjust social, environmental, and economic systems from the ground up to address the climate crisis, advance racial justice, and build an economy that puts people first. Learn more at www.greenpeace.org/usa.
