Dorothy Stang
Encyclopedia
Sister Dorothy Mae Stang, S.N.D., (July 7, 1931–February 12, 2005) was an American
-born, Brazil
ian member of the Congregation of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur
. She was murdered in Anapu
, a city in the state of Pará
, in the Amazon Basin
of Brazil. Stang had been outspoken in her efforts on behalf of the poor and the environment, and had previously received death threats from loggers and land owners.
, USA, but a naturalized
Brazilian citizen, worked as an advocate for the rural poor beginning in the early 1970s, helping peasants make a living by farming small plots and extracting forest products without deforestation
. She also sought to protect peasants from criminal gangs working on behalf of ranchers who were after their plots. Dot, as she was called by her family, friends and most locals in Brazil, is often pictured wearing a t-shirt with the slogan, "A Morte da floresta é o fim da nossa vida" which is Portuguese
for "The death of the forest is the end of our life."
In June 2005, two men were charged with conspiracy to murder an American outside the United States in connection with her death. These men, Rayfran das Neves Sales and Clodoaldo Carlos Batista, were convicted on December 10, 2005.
URL=http://wikileaks.ca/cable/2005/03/05BRASILIA606.html.
On 15 May 2007, a court in the city of Belém
sentenced Vitalmiro Bastos Moura, aged 36, to the maximum term of 30 years in prison for paying gunmen to shoot Sister Dorothy. Stang's brother David, who was at the trial, said "justice was done." In a second trial, Moura was acquitted of all charges, because the gunman, Rayfran das Neves Sales, declared in court to have killed Dorothy Stang for personal motivation.. The prosecution appealed, however, and Moura was considered guilty, and sentenced to 30 years in prison, in a third trial, on April 12, 2010.
Rayfran das Neves Sales was retried on 22 October 2007. He was again found guilty, and a judge in Belém sentenced him to 27 years in prison–the same punishment as in the first trial in 2005. Prosecutors said Moura had ordered Stang's death because she had sent letters to the local authorities accusing Moura of setting illegal fires to clear land, which led to his receiving a substantial fine. At a third trial, on 6 May 2008, Rayfran das Neves Sales was sentenced to 28 years in prison, and, in his second trial, Vitalmiro Bastos Moura was declared innocent.
Regivaldo Pereira Galvão, a rancher suspected of ordering the killing, was arrested in December 2008 and was to be charged with the murder. He had been arrested previously for the murder but released.
On April 7, 2009, the Court of Justice, in Pará
, decided to void the third trial
. The same court decided to put Vitalmiro Bastos de Moura back in jail but Moura's lawyer
appealed that decision. A new trial was to be scheduled. On April 22, 2009, STJ
set Vitalmiro Moura free until a final decision about his request of Habeas corpus
.
Roniery Lopes, a witness in the trial of Regivaldo Galvão for fraud
, was shot in November 2009, just before he was to testify.
On February 4, 2010, Supreme Court
revoked Vitalmiro Moura's Habeas corpus
. Moura was arrested on February 7, after surrendering voluntarily to police. On April 12, 2010, he was convicted again by a jury and sentenced to 30 years in prison.
On May 1, 2010, Regivaldo Galvão was also convicted of having ordered the murder. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison.
In 2008, the American filmmaker
Daniel Junge released a documentary
titled They Killed Sister Dorothy
. The film is narrated by Martin Sheen
in the version in English
and by Wagner Moura
in the version in Portuguese
. The film received the Audience Award and the Competition Award at the 2008 South by Southwest Festival
, where it had its worldwide premiere.
is slated to develop the opera in 2010.
Extra Info on these *** check it out ***
-------------these are extras ------------------------
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
-born, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian member of the Congregation of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur
Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur
The Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, is the name of a Roman Catholic order of religious sisters, dedicated to providing education to the poor.The order was founded in Amiens in 1803, but the opposition of the local bishop to missions outside his diocese led to the moving of headquarters to then...
. She was murdered in Anapu
Anapu
Anapu is a city in Pará, Brazil. It is located at .Its population in 2004 was 7,271 inhabitants. The territorial area of Anapu is 11951.79 km².Anapu's rain forests are subject to massive clearcutting....
, a city in the state of Pará
Pará
Pará is a state in the north of Brazil. It borders the Brazilian states of Amapá, Maranhão, Tocantins, Mato Grosso, Amazonas and Roraima. To the northwest it also borders Guyana and Suriname, and to the northeast it borders the Atlantic Ocean. The capital is Belém.Pará is the most populous state...
, in the Amazon Basin
Amazon Basin
The Amazon Basin is the part of South America drained by the Amazon River and its tributaries that drains an area of about , or roughly 40 percent of South America. The basin is located in the countries of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, and Venezuela...
of Brazil. Stang had been outspoken in her efforts on behalf of the poor and the environment, and had previously received death threats from loggers and land owners.
Life work
Stang, born in Dayton, OhioDayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
, USA, but a naturalized
Naturalization
Naturalization is the acquisition of citizenship and nationality by somebody who was not a citizen of that country at the time of birth....
Brazilian citizen, worked as an advocate for the rural poor beginning in the early 1970s, helping peasants make a living by farming small plots and extracting forest products without deforestation
Deforestation
Deforestation is the removal of a forest or stand of trees where the land is thereafter converted to a nonforest use. Examples of deforestation include conversion of forestland to farms, ranches, or urban use....
. She also sought to protect peasants from criminal gangs working on behalf of ranchers who were after their plots. Dot, as she was called by her family, friends and most locals in Brazil, is often pictured wearing a t-shirt with the slogan, "A Morte da floresta é o fim da nossa vida" which is Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
for "The death of the forest is the end of our life."
Murder
On the morning of February 12, 2005, Dorothy and Ciero woke up early to walk to a community meeting to speak about the rights for the Amazon. Ciero, the farmer Stang invited to the meeting, was going to be late because of some interruptions. As Ciero was a couple of minutes away from Dorothy, he was able to see her but hid within the bushes from the two armed men. She progressed on and was blocked by the two men, Clodoaldo and Raifran. They asked if she had any weapons, and she claimed that the only weapon would be her bible. She then read a passage from the Beatitudes, "Blessed are the poor in spirit..." She continued a couple of steps but was suddenly stopped when Ciero called her, "Sister," as she was held at gun point by Raifran. As Clodoaldo approved of discharging at Dorothy, Raifran fired a round at Dorothy's abdomen. She fell face down on the ground. Raifran fired another round into Dorothy's back, then fired all four rounds into her head.Investigation and trials
The U.S. Attorney's Office, Transnational Crime Unit, in Washington, D.C., pursued an indictment of the four individuals (three in custody, one at large) by using Title 18, USC 2332, a statute on International Homicide. The key elements of this statute require 1) the victim be a U.S. citizen, 2) that the murder take place outside the US, and 3) that the murder was carried out to influence, pressure, or coerce a government or civilian group. Stang's murder met all the key elements.In June 2005, two men were charged with conspiracy to murder an American outside the United States in connection with her death. These men, Rayfran das Neves Sales and Clodoaldo Carlos Batista, were convicted on December 10, 2005.
URL=http://wikileaks.ca/cable/2005/03/05BRASILIA606.html.
On 15 May 2007, a court in the city of Belém
Belém
Belém is a Brazilian city, the capital and largest city of state of Pará, in the country's north region. It is the entrance gate to the Amazon with a busy port, airport and bus/coach station...
sentenced Vitalmiro Bastos Moura, aged 36, to the maximum term of 30 years in prison for paying gunmen to shoot Sister Dorothy. Stang's brother David, who was at the trial, said "justice was done." In a second trial, Moura was acquitted of all charges, because the gunman, Rayfran das Neves Sales, declared in court to have killed Dorothy Stang for personal motivation.. The prosecution appealed, however, and Moura was considered guilty, and sentenced to 30 years in prison, in a third trial, on April 12, 2010.
Rayfran das Neves Sales was retried on 22 October 2007. He was again found guilty, and a judge in Belém sentenced him to 27 years in prison–the same punishment as in the first trial in 2005. Prosecutors said Moura had ordered Stang's death because she had sent letters to the local authorities accusing Moura of setting illegal fires to clear land, which led to his receiving a substantial fine. At a third trial, on 6 May 2008, Rayfran das Neves Sales was sentenced to 28 years in prison, and, in his second trial, Vitalmiro Bastos Moura was declared innocent.
Regivaldo Pereira Galvão, a rancher suspected of ordering the killing, was arrested in December 2008 and was to be charged with the murder. He had been arrested previously for the murder but released.
On April 7, 2009, the Court of Justice, in Pará
Pará
Pará is a state in the north of Brazil. It borders the Brazilian states of Amapá, Maranhão, Tocantins, Mato Grosso, Amazonas and Roraima. To the northwest it also borders Guyana and Suriname, and to the northeast it borders the Atlantic Ocean. The capital is Belém.Pará is the most populous state...
, decided to void the third trial
Trial (law)
In law, a trial is when parties to a dispute come together to present information in a tribunal, a formal setting with the authority to adjudicate claims or disputes. One form of tribunal is a court...
. The same court decided to put Vitalmiro Bastos de Moura back in jail but Moura's lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
appealed that decision. A new trial was to be scheduled. On April 22, 2009, STJ
Superior Court of Justice (Brazil)
The Superior Court of Justice is the highest appellate court in Brazil for non-constitutional questions of federal law. The STJ also has original jurisdiction over some cases...
set Vitalmiro Moura free until a final decision about his request of Habeas corpus
Habeas corpus
is a writ, or legal action, through which a prisoner can be released from unlawful detention. The remedy can be sought by the prisoner or by another person coming to his aid. Habeas corpus originated in the English legal system, but it is now available in many nations...
.
Roniery Lopes, a witness in the trial of Regivaldo Galvão for fraud
Fraud
In criminal law, a fraud is an intentional deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual; the related adjective is fraudulent. The specific legal definition varies by legal jurisdiction. Fraud is a crime, and also a civil law violation...
, was shot in November 2009, just before he was to testify.
On February 4, 2010, Supreme Court
Superior Court of Justice (Brazil)
The Superior Court of Justice is the highest appellate court in Brazil for non-constitutional questions of federal law. The STJ also has original jurisdiction over some cases...
revoked Vitalmiro Moura's Habeas corpus
Habeas corpus
is a writ, or legal action, through which a prisoner can be released from unlawful detention. The remedy can be sought by the prisoner or by another person coming to his aid. Habeas corpus originated in the English legal system, but it is now available in many nations...
. Moura was arrested on February 7, after surrendering voluntarily to police. On April 12, 2010, he was convicted again by a jury and sentenced to 30 years in prison.
On May 1, 2010, Regivaldo Galvão was also convicted of having ordered the murder. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison.
Documentary
Ambassador Danilovich met with David Stang, brother of murdered Sister; Daniel Junge, traveling with Stang to film a documentary; and Sister Mary Ellis McCabe, a member of Sister Dorothy's religious congregation, stationed in Ceara, Brazil, for dinner at the Ambassador's residence March 2. (PolCouns, CG, and Special Ass't also attended the dinner.) Stang and Junge were in Brasilia to meet with Minister of Justice Marcio Thomaz Bastos after visiting the site of Stang's sister's murder in Para state. Stang thanked the Ambassador for the Embassy's support and said that he was pleased with the Brazilian federal government's reaction. He was very critical, however, of Para state authorities for failing to protect his sister and for failing to offer their condolences during his visit. URL=http://wikileaks.ca/cable/2005/03/05BRASILIA606.htmlIn 2008, the American filmmaker
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
Daniel Junge released a documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
titled They Killed Sister Dorothy
They Killed Sister Dorothy
They Killed Sister Dorothy is a 2008 documentary film about American-born Brazilian nun Dorothy Stang, who was murdered on February 12, 2005, in Anapu, a city located in the Amazon Rainforest...
. The film is narrated by Martin Sheen
Martin Sheen
Ramón Gerardo Antonio Estévez , better known by his stage name Martin Sheen, is an American film actor best known for his performances in the films Badlands and Apocalypse Now , and in the television series The West Wing from 1999 to 2006.He is considered one of the best actors never to be...
in the version in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and by Wagner Moura
Wagner Moura
Wagner Maniçoba Moura is a Brazilian film, television and stage actor. Moura graduated in journalism at Universidade Federal da Bahia but decided to become an actor....
in the version in Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
. The film received the Audience Award and the Competition Award at the 2008 South by Southwest Festival
South by Southwest
South by Southwest is an Austin, Texas based company dedicated to planning conferences, trade shows, festivals and other events. Their current roster of annual events include: SXSW Music, SXSW Film, SXSW Interactive, SXSWedu, and SXSWeco and take place every spring in Austin, Texas, United States...
, where it had its worldwide premiere.
Opera
In 2009, Evan Mack composed an opera based on the life of Sr. Dorothy Stang. Angel of the Amazon depicts her life’s work, her devotion to her mission with Brazilian peasant farmers, and the events that sent her on a path of martyrdom. Encompass New Opera TheatreEncompass New Opera Theatre
Encompass New Opera Theatre is a professional opera company located in New York City which specializes in premiering new productions, and reviving 20th century operas by American and international composers. A member of Opera America, Encompass was founded in 1975 by Nancy Rhodes who remains the...
is slated to develop the opera in 2010.
See also
- Wilson PinheiroWilson PinheiroWilson Pinheiro was the president of the Brasiléia Rural Workers Union in the State of Acre in Brazil. He helped lead the fight against ranchers who were destroying the Amazon Rainforest. Pinheiro was committed to defense of the Amazon and was assassinated on July 21, 1980...
- Vicente CanasVicente CañasVicente Cañas, S.J. was a Spanish Christian missionary and Jesuit brother, who is credited with making the first peaceful contact with the Enawene Nawe Indian tribe in 1974. Afterwards, he lived with them for over ten years, adopting to their way of life and helping them with necessary medical...
- Chico MendesChico MendesFrancisco Alves Mendes Filho, better known as Chico Mendes , was a Brazilian rubber tapper, trade union leader and environmentalist. He fought to preserve the Amazon rainforest, and advocated for the human rights of Brazilian peasants and indigenous peoples...
- José Cláudio Ribeiro da SilvaJosé Cláudio Ribeiro da SilvaJosé Cláudio Ribeiro da Silva was a Brazilian conservationist and environmentalist who campaigned against logging and clearcutting of trees in the Amazon rainforest....
- Environment of BrazilEnvironment of BrazilThe wildlife of Brazil comprises all naturally occurring animals, fungi and plants in this South American country. Home to 60% of the Amazon Rainforest, which accounts for approximately one-tenth of all species in the world, Brazil is considered to have the greatest biodiversity of any country on...
- Indigenous People in Brazil
External links
- Sydney Morning Herald article on the killing, February 27, 2005
- The Student, the Nun & the Amazon (www.studentnunamazon.com)
- http://www.ndnu.edu/DorothyStang/default.aspxDorothy Stang Center at Notre Dame de Namur UniversityNotre Dame de Namur UniversityNotre Dame de Namur University — formerly the College of Notre Dame — is a private, Catholic University located in Belmont, California in the San Francisco Bay Area. Notre Dame de Namur University is an accredited university in San Mateo County, and the fifth-oldest university in California...
], Belmont California - Angel of the Amazon An opera based on the life of Sr. Dorothy by Evan Mack
Extra Info on these *** check it out ***
- http://wikileaks.ca/cable/2005/03/05BRASILIA606.html
-------------these are extras ------------------------
- http://wikileaks.ca/cable/2008/05/08BRASILIA640.html
- http://wikileaks.ca/cable/2005/03/05BRASILIA821.html
- http://wikileaks.ca/cable/2005/03/05BRASILIA532.html
- http://wikileaks.ca/cable/2005/02/05BRASILIA464.html
- http://wikileaks.ca/cable/2005/02/05BRASILIA437.html
- http://wikileaks.ca/cable/2005/02/05BRASILIA369.html