Brazil's Amazon defender Raoni has cancer / Photo: Evaristo Sa - AFP
Brazil's Amazon defender Raoni has cancer
Brazilian tribal chief Raoni Metuktire, the most recognized face of the fight to save the Amazon rainforest, has gastrointestinal cancer and is receiving palliative care at home, his organization said Monday.
Raoni has traveled the world for decades to advocate for the Amazon rainforest and traditional Indigenous communities, lobbying heads of state, monarchs and popes.
The 94-year-old has been in ill health in recent months and was hospitalized in June after suffering upper intestinal obstruction and aspiration pneumonia.
"Considering his age, his clinical condition, and the high risks of aggressive treatments, the medical teams recommended palliative care," the Raoni Institute wrote on social media.
The chief is receiving care in Peixoto de Azevedo, the nearest major town to the Indigenous territory where he lives.
"Palliative care does not mean the absence of treatment," but rather an attempt to ensure "the best possible quality of life," his organization said.
Following surgery in Sao Paulo in June, examinations revealed that a cancerous tumor had caused the obstruction that landed him in the hospital.
The leader of the Kayapo people has until recently remained active despite his health woes.
In April, he attended Free Land Camp, Brazil's largest annual gathering of Indigenous people.
Raoni first gained prominence in the 1970s when he campaigned against the construction of a trans-Amazonian highway during Brazil's military dictatorship.
He left Brazil for the first time in 1989 on an international tour with the British singer Sting. Together the pair toured 17 countries to raise awareness about the massive deforestation of the Amazon.
M.Moreau--JdCdC
