Aritana Yawalapiti, one of Brazil's main indigenous leaders, has died from Covid-19

Suffered from a severe form of Covid-19, the cacique Aritana Yawalapiti, one of the main indigenous leaders of Brazil, died on Wednesday August 5 at the age of 70, announced his nephew Iano Yawalapiti.

"His death is confirmed," said the nephew of the indigenous chief who had been admitted to an intensive care unit two weeks ago in a hospital in Goias state, in west-central Brazil, by telephone. , due to respiratory distress.

Lower immunity and difficulty in accessing care

A staunch defender of indigenous rights and the preservation of the Amazon rainforest, the cacique was an important official in the region of Xingu National Park, in Mato Grosso, where the emblematic chief Raoni Metuktire also hails. 

The Covid-19, whose balance sheet will cross the 100,000 dead mark in Brazil in the coming days, has hit the natives hard, killing several hundred among them, due to weaker immunity and difficulty in accessing care.

With AFP

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