Insurgent Voices in Brazil’s Lethal Democracy: Events in Honor Marielle Franco took place at San Diego State University on March 14-15, 2022. This panel, available here with simultaneous interpretation in English, brought together Débora Maria Silva, Rute Fiúza, and Mônica da Cunha into a discussion moderated by Gladys Mitchell-Walthour on human rights, state violence, and their struggles as activists and mothers whose children were murdered by the Brazilian state.
Débora Maria Silva is the founder of Mães de Maio and a researcher at the Center for Forensic Anthropology and Archeology (CAAF) of the Federal University of São Paulo. She is the mother of Rogério Silva, a victim of state violence in Brazil. Débora has received several national awards for her work as a human rights activists, including the National Award of Human Rights by then president Dilma Rousseff in 2013. Débora has been an organizer of the Global Network of Mothers Resisting State Violence in the Americas.
Rute Fiúza is the coordinator of Mães de Maio/Nordeste and a human rights activist in Salvador/Bahia. She is the mother of Davi Fiúza, a victim of state violence in Brazil. Rute is also a researcher in the Havard project on Violence and Mothering Politics in Brazil and one of the main voices against state violence in northeast Brazil.
Mônica Cunha is antiracist activist and human rights defender who has worked in various non governmental organizations (NGOs) as an educator, and coordinator of social projects. She is the founder of Movimento Moleque and is a member of the commission of human rights of Rio’s State Legislature (ALERJ). She is the mother of Rafael da Silva Cunha, a victim of state violence. Monica has faced many death threats and assassination attempts due to her advocacy work against police violence in Rio’s favelas. She has been one of the most prominent voices against Bolsonarism and (para)militarism in Rio. Monica has been appointed to take a seat at the city council of Rio de Janeiro, the same chair Marielle Franco occupied before her assassination in 2018.
source
