Rogério Batalha Rocha
Rogério Batalha is a member of the Coletivo Terra Vermelha (Red Earth Collective), which is a civil society organisation in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul that supports the struggle of indigenous peoples in the fight for their ancestral lands and in the preservation of their culture and their language. He was also a legal advisor for Conselho Indigenista Missionário - CIMI (Indigenous Missionary Council) for over 10 years. Rogério Batalha has stood up against the interests of landowners and agribusiness in the defence of the Guarani-Kaiowás and other tribes' rights to their ancestral lands and against the campaign of criminalisation the indigenous peoples have been subjected to.
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.
