Paulo Marubo, indigenous leader from Vale do Javari, dies
Indigenous leader Paulo Marubo, who three times served as coordinator of the Union of Indigenous Peoples of Vale do Javari (Univaja) in Manaus, died on Saturday (Feb. 3). One of the brothers-in-arms of indigenous activist Bruno Pereira, who was murdered in 2022, Marubo succumbed to a worsening case of hepatitis.
According to lawyer Eliésio Marubo, another leader linked to the organization, his uncle Paulo Marubo’s kidneys and liver were already severely compromised by the disease.
Paulo Marubo was one of the people responsible for assembling the Univaja Surveillance Team (EVU), created to step up security for the indigenous groups living in Vale do Javari. The territory is home to the largest number of indigenous people in voluntary isolation in the world and is under threat from international drug trafficking and other types of crime, like illegal fishing and hunting.
Paulo Marubo was at the head of Univaja for nearly a decade and was the one who led the search for indigenous expert Bruno Pereira and UK journalist Dom Phillips, from The Guardian.
Eliésio Marubo explained that Paulo Marubo needed platelet replacement and the removal of fluids from his abdominal cavity. The former Univaja coordinator did not receive proper care from hospital staff in Amazonas state capital Manaus, where he had been transferred in August, his nephew said.
Eliésio Marubo extended his criticism to the Amazonas state security secretariat. In his view, the government should have provided an effective scheme to guarantee Paulo Marubo’s integrity, as he was a target for criminals and had been threatened with death numerous times.
“His contribution to the Univaja model was significant. He created a new way for the organization to work and face the challenges of our region. His passing is a great source of grief for us.”
In a statement, the Coordination of Indigenous Organizations of the Brazilian Amazon acknowledged the legacy left by Paulo Marubo. In its message, the organization states he “brought the conditions so the forest and everyone living in it can continue standing.”
