Vicente Cañas,
S.J. (October 22, 1939 in
Alborea, Albacete – April 6, 1987 in
Mato Grosso
Mato Grosso ( – lit. "Thick Bush") is one of the states of Brazil, the third largest by area, located in the Central-West region. The state has 1.66% of the Brazilian population and is responsible for 1.9% of the Brazilian GDP.
Neighboring ...
) was a Spanish Christian missionary and
Jesuit
, image = Ihs-logo.svg
, image_size = 175px
, caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits
, abbreviation = SJ
, nickname = Jesuits
, formation =
, founders ...
brother, who is credited with making the first peaceful contact with the
Enawene Nawe Indian tribe in 1974. Afterwards, he lived with them for over ten years, adopting their way of life and helping them with necessary medical supplies. Due to his help, the Enawene Nawe population rebounded from a low of 97 individuals to a population of over 430. Similar to
Chico Mendes
Francisco Alves Mendes Filho, better known as Chico Mendes (; 15 December 1944 – 22 December 1988), was a Brazilian rubber tapper, trade union leader and environmentalist. He fought to preserve the Amazon rainforest, and advocated for the h ...
and
Wilson Pinheiro
Wilson Pinheiro (died in 1980) was the president of the Brasiléia Rural Workers Union in the State of Acre in Brazil. He helped lead the fight against ranchers who were destroying the Amazon rainforest. Pinheiro was committed to defend the Amazon ...
, he died at the hands of cattle ranchers who were destroying the Amazon Rainforest.
History
Cañas helped the Enawene Nawe secure lands they considered necessary for their survival. In spite of receiving death threats from land owners and cattle ranchers, he successfully lobbied the Brazilian government for the territory to be officially granted for use by the Enawene Nawe tribe.
The Enawene Nawe were campaigning for the use of a tract of land known as the Rio Preto, an important fishing area, which was omitted from inclusion in their original territory. The tribe received numerous death threats from the local cattle ranchers subsequent to their lobbying.
The cultural survival of the Enawene Nawe is under constant threat. Their most pressing problem is the location of 5 mini hydroelectric generators located in the Juruena River, which is decreasing the native fish population. Because of this, the performing of the celebrated Yakwa festival may soon become impossible, putting at risk the heart of their rich religious tradition.
The Rio Preto (Adawina/Adowina) region has still not been demarcated, despite many years of work by the Enawene Nawe and a local indigenist NGO, OPAN (Operação Amazonia Nativa).
These threats are because of what Vicente (Kiwxi) saw all those years ago - colonisation of the state of Mato Grosso and Amazonia by soya monoculturalists led by the Maggi family.
Assassination and aftermath
In 1987, a group of ranchers entered the home of Vicente Cañas, near the village of the Enawene Nawe tribe, and stabbed him to death. Subsequently, the investigation into his murder was marred by corruption and incompetence and none of the 6 suspected murderers people were initially charged.
Nineteen years after the murder of Vicente Cañas, the trial of those accused of killing him began in Cuiabá, capital of Mato Grosso state. The landmark trial began on October 24, 2006. Three men, which include the former police chief are finally on trial. Two of the other accused murderers have long since died and a third man has been deemed "too old" to stand trial.
Ronaldo Antônio Osmar, the only one who could stand trial for the 1987 murder, was sentenced to 14 years and 3 months in prison,
11 years after being acquitted of the murder by a jury, who considered there was not enough evidence for a conviction.
References
External links
Brazilian Government Contact, Dr. Márcio Thomáz Bastos
See also
*
Wilson Pinheiro
Wilson Pinheiro (died in 1980) was the president of the Brasiléia Rural Workers Union in the State of Acre in Brazil. He helped lead the fight against ranchers who were destroying the Amazon rainforest. Pinheiro was committed to defend the Amazon ...
*
Dorothy Stang
Dorothy Mae Stang (June 7, 1931 – February 12, 2005) was an American-born Brazilian member of the Congregation of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. She was murdered in Anapu, a city in the state of Pará, in the Amazon Basin of Brazil. Stang h ...
*
Chico Mendes
Francisco Alves Mendes Filho, better known as Chico Mendes (; 15 December 1944 – 22 December 1988), was a Brazilian rubber tapper, trade union leader and environmentalist. He fought to preserve the Amazon rainforest, and advocated for the h ...
*
José Cláudio Ribeiro da Silva
José is a predominantly Spanish and Portuguese form of the given name Joseph. While spelled alike, this name is pronounced differently in each language: Spanish ; Portuguese (or ).
In French, the name ''José'', pronounced , is an old vernacu ...
*
Environment of Brazil
The environment of Brazil is characterized by high biodiversity with a population density that decreases away from the coast.
Brazil's large area comprises different ecosystems, which together sustain some of the world's greatest biodiversity. B ...
*
Indigenous People in Brazil
Indigenous peoples in Brazil ( pt, povos indígenas no Brasil) or Indigenous Brazilians ( pt, indígenas brasileiros, links=no) once comprised an estimated 2000 tribes and nations inhabiting what is now the country of Brazil, before European con ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Canas, Vicente
1939 births
1987 deaths
People from Albacete
Assassinated religious leaders
Assassinated Spanish people
20th-century Spanish Jesuits
Spanish Roman Catholic missionaries
Roman Catholic missionaries in Brazil
Spanish people murdered abroad
People murdered in Brazil
Deaths by stabbing in Brazil
Forestry in Brazil
Forest conservation
Environmental killings
Spanish expatriates in Brazil
Jesuit missionaries