ABSTRACT
The south and southeast of Pará, Brazil, are marked by a history of conflicts in their countryside and forests. These conflicts, provoked by greed and illegal exploitation of land and natural resources to open space for the expansion of agribusiness, mining, and logging, often end in assassinations and massacres. It has become a dangerous frontier region where large plantations and mining projects encroach on the forest and communities. In these spaces of dispute over rights and dignity, many fighters have fallen for defending their territories, their rights, and their lives. Among them are Zé Claudio and Maria, who emerge as true heroes in their protection of the forest. As is often the case, they did not even have the right to live, to integrity. Almost as though a certain fate awaits those who defend human rights and the forest, they were brutally murdered in 2011. In a brief account, we review a bit of the story of their fight and the dangers they faced. They inspire us and keep us motivated to seek a more just world, where we are no longer assassinated for defending our lives and the life of the planet.
