Brazil: Coronavirus Kills Historic Leader of Amazonian Peoples

Messias Kokama at the Parque das Tribus-Taruma Community, Manaos, Brazil. | Photo: Twitter/ @frc_vfco

Published 14 May 2020 (2 hours 51 minutes ago)

Messias Kokama, the main Indigenous leader of the Manaus city, died a victim of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus on Wednesday. His community mourns his departure without being able to pay homage to him with their traditional rituals.

"We lost a man who dreamed of the first Indigenous neighborhood inside a city. Today he leaves us his example of persistence, struggle, and courage in the face of conflicts and obstacles," the Parque das Tribus-Taruma co-founder Claudia Bare said.

Chief Kokama, who died from respiratory problems a week after he was diagnosed as a COVID-19 case, founded the Parque das Tribus-Taruma Community six years ago.

This is the first Brazilian Indigenous neighborhood located inside Manaus city and is currently inhabited by 3,000 people from 35 different ethnic groups.​​​​​​​

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