Maicon Alexandre Rodrigues de Carvalho
Maicon Alexandre Rodrigues de Carvalho, also known as Pelé, is one of the founders and director of the Associação Homens e Mulheres do Mar da Baía de Guanabara – AHOMAR (Association of Seamen and Sea-women of Guanabara Bay), an organisation set up to work for the rights of the fisherfolk working in Guanabara Bay in Rio de Janeiro, and particularly those affected by the construction of a gas pipeline by Petrobras. Pelé has been the acting director since Mr Alexandre Anderson de Souza had to go into hiding with his wife and children after several death threats and attacks against him and after the killing of other AHOMAR leaders.
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.
