All over the world as people rallied for the Climate Strikes, people also took time to demonstrate their solidarity with an Indigenous community in Southern Brazil who received death threats this week as they resist a major coal project.
Solidarity from Cape Town, South Africa
Earlier in the week armed men confronted and made death threats to Chief Claudio Acosta, of the Mbya Guarani People, from the Guadjayvi village, Rio Grande do Sul state, in South Brazil. Chief Acosta has been leading his community’s resistance to a large coal mining project: the Guaiba Mine of COPELMI. COPELMI is the largest private corporation in Brazil.
“It was the first time we received threats. I have almost no doubt that this is related to the fact that, a short time ago, we came to the Public Prosecution Service in Porto Alegre to reject the inclusion of our villages in the Guaíba Mine project,” says the chief.
The Guaíba mine is in the environmental licensing phase and Indigenous peoples have not been included in the studies. “The defense of the legitimate rights of the Guarani People requires they be included in environmental studies and consulted in advance, free and informed, as required by law,” said Luiz Afonso Rosario, of 350.org Brazil and COESUS. This means they have every right to reject the mine from proceeding on their land.
The power of our global solidarity can put the struggle of the Mbya Guarani in the global spotlight: they are the Climate Defenders at the frontline, and as a global movement we stand with them. Check out the global solidarity that has already flowed in!
Click here to download a sign that you can take your own solidarity photo with. Post it on social media with the hashtags #ProtectClimateDefenders #CarvãoAquiNão
Suggested text:
- I stand in solidarity with the Mbya Guarani People who are receiving death threats as they resist the Guaiba #coal mine #ProtectClimateDefenders #CarvãoAquiNão
From Kyiv, Ukraine
Kumi Naidoo – Amnesty International Secretary General
Solidarity from New Zealand – Niamh O’Flynn
Solidarity from San Francisco, USA
350.org founder Bill McKibben
Solidarity from Turkey
References: https://www.observatoriodocarvao.com.br/ameacas-de-homens-armados-ao-cacique-claudio-acosta-podem-estar-relacionadas-a-construcao-da-mina-guaiba-rs/