The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, will grant, this Tuesday (26), the National Order of the Legion of Honor to the indigenous leader of the Kayapó ethnic group, chief Raoni Metuktire. It is the highest honor granted by France to its citizens and foreigners who stand out for their activities on the global stage.
The decoration was instituted on May 20, 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte.
Raoni Metuktire, 92 years old, dedicates his life to defending the Amazon and the people of the forest and has great international recognition. From the village of Kraimopry-yaka, where he was born, the chief traveled the world asking for peace and maintains dialogue with various personalities, such as Pope Francis and the British King Charles III.
On his first official visit to Brazil, Macron arrives today in Belém (PA), where he will be received by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Both will fulfill an extensive bilateral agenda over the next few days in Brazil, with topics in the area of the environment, defense, reform of multilateral organizations, among others. In addition to Pará, Macron will visit Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Brasília.
In the capital of Pará, the presidents will monitor the artisanal and sustainable production of cocoa in a forest region. They will also meet with indigenous representatives, at which time Macron will give the grant to chief Raoni.
The indigenous leader will be granted the degree of knight, the first of the Legion of Honor. France recognizes Raoni as an international figure for indigenous and environmental causes. Spreading messages about human rights and forest protection, he created the Rainforest Association in 1989 and the Raoni Institute in 2001.
“Raoni also campaigns against dam construction projects that threaten indigenous rights and lands. In 1993, following the enthusiasm generated by his world tour, the indigenous lands of the Xingu were unified: they now constitute the largest tropical forest reserve on the planet,” explained the French Embassy.
Expanded article at 2:13 pm