Eliete Paraguassu
Eliete Paraguassu is a quilombola, fisherwoman from the Porto de Cavalos community, one of the 5 quilombos in Ilha de Maré, Bahia. Since 1990, the defender has been active in defence of the environment and the territory and for the rights of the Quilombola communities, especially women. She is a member of the Movement of Fishermen and Fisherwomen, as well as the National Articulation of Fisherwomen and Fisherwomen, MAHIN Collective - Black Women Organisation and the Brazil's Black Coalition for Rights.
Ilha da Maré is a territory of Quilombola resistance in Bahia, known as "the blackest neighbourhood in Salvador". The territory is an area occupied by chemical and oil industries, which pollute the waters, contaminate the air and poison the local population. Her struggle began out of necessity: her daughter is one of the girls included in the heavy metal contamination index of island.
The challenges and threats faced by human rights defenders in Brazil remain very high, particularly for those working on issues of land, environment, indigenous peoples, LGBTi rights, corruption and impunity. Many HRDs have experienced death threats, physical attacks, arbitrary arrests and lawsuits. The high number of killings is of particular concern and takes place against a background of widespread impunity.
