“We hold the Bolsonaro administration responsible for the crimes that happened, and this is not mere discourse. It’s an analysis of reality. It’s an analysis of the facts we have.”
– Eliesio Marubo, UNIVAJA attorney

Eliesio Marubo’s advocacy for justice in the brutal assassination of Bruno Pereira and Dom Phillips isn’t just about his conviction for human rights. He knew both men personally, and he has witnessed the increasing violence impacting his community.

In fact, right now the Indigenous people who led the search for Bruno and Dom are also receiving threats. Unsurprisingly, the federal government hasn’t paid any attention or provided them with any protection.

Eliesio is a lawyer for UNIVAJA, an Indigenous organization of the Vale do Javari, who traveled to Washington, DC, at the invitation of a coalition of organizations, including Amazon Watch, Due Process of Law Foundation, and Greenpeace USA.

“Support from U.S. congresspeople is vital so that we can continue to pressure the Brazilian government,” Marubo told U.S. Congressional offices. “President Biden said that protecting the Amazon would guide his administration’s environmental policy. So we hope that ... will lead to concrete measures in defense of the forest and its peoples.”