Indigenous leader Davi Kopenawa calls out Bolsonaro's racism: "He does not like indigenous people"

Indigenous leader Davi Kopenawa is one of this year’s Right Livelihood Award honorees, along with the organization he co-founded, Hutukara Yanomami Association. Kopenawa is a shaman of the Yanomami people, one of the largest Indigenous tribes in Brazil, who has dedicated his life to protecting his culture and protecting the Amazon rainforest. He says indigenous people in the Amazon are under threat from business interests as well as politicians, including far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, who has a long history of anti-indigenous statements and policies. “He doesn’t like Indigenous people. He does not want to let the Yanomami people to live at peace," says Kopenawa. "What he wants is to extract our wealth to send to other countries.” The Right Livelihood Award, established in 1980, is widely known as the "Alternative Nobel Prize" and honors those “offering practical and exemplary answers to the most urgent challenges facing us.”

#DemocracyNow

Democracy Now! is an independent global news hour that airs on nearly 1,400 TV and radio stations Monday through Friday. Watch our livestream 89AM ET

Please consider supporting independent media by making a donation to Democracy Now! today

FOLLOW DEMOCRACY NOW! ONLINE:

Daily Email Digest