'Let's Maintain Bruno Pereira's Legacy', Says the Indigenist's Widow
Two years after the crime, Beatriz Matos works to protect indigenous lands
Jun.5.2024 1:20PM
Fabyo Cruz
Two years after the death of indigenist Bruno Pereira and British journalist Dom Phillips, murdered in the Vale do Javari in Amazonas, anthropologist Beatriz de Almeida Matos, director at the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples (MPI) and Bruno's widow, spoke about the changes in her life.
The indigenist Bruno Pereira, with his partner, the anthropologist Beatriz de Almeida Matos (Crédito: Arquivo Pessoal) - Arquivo Pessoal
In February 2023, Beatriz moved with her two children from Belém to Brasília to take on the directorship of the Department of Isolated and Recently Contacted Indigenous Peoples at the MPI. She says that from that moment on, she began dedicating herself to coordination actions for the removal of invaders from indigenous lands.
For the anthropologist, besides her commitment at the ministry, interacting with other people who suffered family losses due to violence against defenders of indigenous rights and environmentalists was fundamental to her strengthening.
"Everyone who went through this, instead of giving up on what led these people to be murdered, actually wants to strengthen the fight, precisely so that it doesn't happen again and so that the work of that person continues," she says.
"So, of course, not only I as his wife, but also his friends, colleagues, and those who worked with him [Bruno] are very committed to maintaining [Bruno's] legacy."
https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/internacional/en/scienceandhealth/2024/06/lets-maintain-bruno-pereiras-legacy-says-the-indigenists-widow.shtml