Luiz Henrique Eloy Amado
Luiz Eloy Henrique Amado is a human rights lawyer and a member of the Terena indigenous people. He has dedicated his entire career as a lawyer to the defence of the rights of indigenous peoples in Brazil, particularly the Terena, the Guarani-Kaiowá, the Kadiwéu and the Kinikinau tribes. He has stood up against the interests of landowners and agribusiness in the defence of the local tribes' rights to their ancestral lands and against the campaign of criminalisation the indigenous peoples have been subjected to. He is a supporter of and collaborates with the Conselho Indigenista Missionário - CIMI (Indigenous Missionary Council).
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.
