The Diplomat
The National Indian Foundation (FUNAI) of Brazil yesterday repudiated in a statement the verbal attacks launched against its president, Marcelo Augusto Xavier da Silva, during the 16th Extraordinary General Assembly of the Fund for the Development of Indigenous Peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean (FILAC), which is being held in Madrid, at the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Marcelo Xavier was forced to leave the Assembly meeting yesterday after one person -Ricardo Roa, a former employee of FUNAI, from where he was fired- interrupted the event and accused him of being responsible for the murders in July of Brazilian indigenist Bruno Pereira and British journalist Dom Phillips.
With no one trying to stop him, Roa hurled numerous imprecations angrily at the Brazilian representative. “This man does not belong here. He is not worthy to be among you. He is a disgrace,” he shouted.
As the organisers did nothing to end the situation, Marcelo Xavier and his companions decided to leave the room, amid shouts of “militiaman”, “murderer” and “bandit”.
In its statement, FUNAI stresses that “this type of attitude is irresponsible, violent and anti-democratic, making any kind of healthy and productive dialogue impossible, which should always be based on respect between the parties”. It adds: “The foundation understands that public policies cannot be built on the basis of insults and arguments lacking foundation and evidence. Such attitudes are not compatible with the democratic rule of law”.
Furthermore, FUNAI points out that it has made representations to the Spanish Judicial Police and explains that Marcelo Xavier, for security reasons, chose to voluntarily leave the venue of the event, “in the face of the hostile and aggressive attitude of the demonstrator”. It also points out that “the regrettable aggressions will be the subject of legal action for a crime against honour and compensation for moral damages”.
Yesterday afternoon, groups of people, including ERC deputy Maria Dantas, gathered in front of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, organised by the NGO Survival International together with various groups and collectives for civil rights and indigenous peoples. They protested against the presence of FUNAI’s president in Spain and shouted slogans against him and Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro.
