Brazilian Indigenous leader and renowned Amazon defender Chief Raoni Metuktire, 94, has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of digestive-system cancer, according to the Raoni Institute.
The organization said the disease was discovered at an advanced stage after he experienced persistent abdominal pain and other health problems in recent months. He is currently receiving palliative care.
Raoni was transferred to a hospital in São Paulo on June 19, where he underwent surgery for an intestinal obstruction caused by the tumor.
Following the operation, he was placed under palliative care as his condition continued to be managed.
For decades, Chief Raoni has been one of the world's most recognizable advocates for Indigenous rights and protection of the Amazon rainforest. His environmental campaigns brought him alongside world leaders, popes and musician Sting, particularly during international efforts to protect the rainforest beginning in the 1980s.
Photo: Reuters
