Darcy Ribeiro Foundation Proposes Chief Raoni as 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Recipient

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Darcy Ribeiro Foundation enrolled Chief Raoni, of the Caiapó tribe, as one of the candidates for the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize. The institution began the candidacy procedure due to the indigenous chief’s work in defense of the Amazon, accomplished throughout his life.

Raoni, easily distinguished by his yellow-feathered headdress and lip disc, became internationally known as a defender of the environment in the 1980s when he formed a partnership with Sting, lead singer of the British band The Police.

At the age of 89, Raoni went on tour once again this year. This time, he draws attention to the fires that ravaged large areas of the Amazon. Raoni blames environmental and indigenous policy destruction on President Jair Bolsonaro.

“The indigenous peoples are worried. They believe that Bolsonaro could destroy our people. We want to discuss and show the government the pressure we suffer from loggers and miners. They need to respect our rights,” Raoni told Estadão newspaper.

The Darcy Ribeiro Foundation, in Rio de Janeiro, announced that it has officially sent Raoni’s candidacy proposal to the Norwegian Nobel Committee, which is in charge of selecting the laureates.

The nomination was initially accepted by the Committee, but the formal procedure has yet to be completed, said Toni Lotar, spokesperson for the Darcy Ribeiro Foundation. “Chief Raoni is a living symbol of the struggle to protect nature and indigenous rights. He is respected worldwide for a lifetime dedicated to our planet’s survival, so threatened by climate change.”

International partners

The foundation also wrote to French President Emmanuel Macron to ask for his support for the candidacy. The chief and the French president have already met twice this year.

Macron harshly criticized Brazil’s environmental policy during the G-7 summit, a group of the world’s wealthiest countries, in Biarritz, France. Since then, he and Bolsonaro have exchanged accusations in their statements, among which the Brazilian president insults the French first lady, Brigitte Macron.

In May this year, the chief was welcomed by Pope Francis in the Vatican. The spokesman for the main leadership of the Catholic Church said that “through this meeting, Pope Francis wants to reiterate his concern for the people and the environment of the Amazon and his commitment to the protection of the Common House”.