After one year, Indigenous leader Ari-Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau murder remains unsolved

One year after indigenous leader Ari Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau was found dead in Tarilândia, in the state of Rondônia, the case remains unsolved. The leader was an usual denouncer of illegal extraction of wood within the territory of his people and was under constant threats. When questioned by G1, the civil police, which handles the case, said that at least four lines of investigation are being examined.

According to the report, Ari’s family members are still facing threats. In protest, indigenous and environmentalists who demand answers from the police spread billboards in various cities in Rondônia with the question “Who killed Ari Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau?”.

The Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau indigenous land is considered by environmentalists from the Ethnoenvironmental Defense Association to be one of the most important in Rondônia because it houses the origins of the state’s 17 major rivers, rich fauna, and contains several endangered animals. The territory is in the ranking of the most deforested areas in Rondônia and, in the pandemic, suffers from with the growth of land grabbing and the increase of cases of Covid-19.