Aflame May,
full of light and songs.
But with also much blood,
blood at the avenues and the streets of the world.
Bloody May …
A prominent grass roots Brazilian rainforest conservationist and his wife have been assassinated in the Amazon region.
Joao Claudio Ribeiro da Silva and Maria do Espirito Santo were ambushed and gunned down under broad daylight, close by their home in Nova Ipixuna, in Para state, near the city of Maraba. The bodies of the couple were found bullet riddled; inside the nature reserve Praialta-Piranheira, where they had been working for the past 24 years.
It turns out that the environmentalist Joao Ribeiro had repeatedly warned Brazilian police and judiciary of death threats against him by well known international industrial loggers working in tandem with large cattle ranchers – specifically McDonalds fast food beef suppliers – but he had never received any police protection.
Da Silva spoke of his fears that industrial loggers would try to silence him thus:
“I could be here today talking to you and in one month you will get the news that I disappeared. I will protect the forest at all costs. That is why I could get a bullet in my head at any moment … because I denounce the loggers and charcoal producers, and that is why they think I cannot exist. People ask me, ‘are you afraid?’ Yes, I’m a human being, of course I am afraid. But my fear does not silence me. As long as I have the strength to walk I will denounce all of those who damage the forest.”
In case you thought it’s not a war going on out there — hear this:
A 2008 report compiled by Brazilian human rights groups listed Da Silva as one of dozens of Amazon human rights and environmental activists “considered at risk” of assassination.
And to put this into perspective — another Brazilian environmentalist who was on the threatened list, was killed this Friday in the Amazon Rainforest region. This just three days after the murders of the two other environmental activists killed within the rainforest area.
Adelino Ramos, known as Dinho and a leader among local impoverished farmers, was killed Friday morning while selling vegetables produced in the farming settlement in Porto Velho in the Brazilian state of Rondonia.
He was shot six times by an unidentified man on a motorbike.
Adelino Ramos was also receiving threats for denouncing illegal logging in the Amazon region along the border between Rondonia and the states of Acre and Amazonas. He had also fought for land reforms in the region and for the human rights of landless peasants…
All this taking place at a crucial time when the new Brazilian government is slated to diminish the protections for the Amazon rainforest, to allow more logging and forgive the criminal deforesters. Ditma Roussef is undermining the admittedly arduous and long years of slow and tepid process of Law building to protect the Amazon Rainforest… A classic five step back jiggle danced in Brazilia causes the death of the rainforest and it’s supporters.
The Environmental Parliamentarians consider these to be the first shots of this undeclared dirty war waged by the climate skeptics, the government, the business industrial concerns and the large international logging companies against the environment.
Our consumption of their products is complicity in their deaths…
Epitaph
If only I had the immortals’ potion if only I had
A new soul to give you, if only you would wake for a moment,
To see and to speak and delight in the whole of your dream
Standing right there by your side, next to you, bursting with life.
Roadways and public places, balconies, lanes in an uproar,
young maidens are picking flowers to sprinkle on your hair.
My fragrant forest full of tens of thousands of roots and leaves,
how can I the ill-fated believe I can ever lose you?
Yours,
Pano
PS:
Long Live — Joao, Maria, Adelino…
“My fear does not silence me. As long as I have the strength to walk I will denounce all of those who damage the forest.”
Da Silva’s words now sound harsh, yet they are much needed inspiration for us all.
Carry on…
