Maria died without a diagnosis after months of trying to be seen by doctors in Brazil and Peru
Mother of 10, grandmother of 21 and great-grandmother of 3, Maria Artur Manchineri passed away on the 26th of October at the age of 57, after trying to access healthcare for several weeks. According to a statement released by the Mappha Association (Manxinerune Ptohi Phunputuru Poktshi Hajene) of the Manchineri people, Maria died without even being diagnosed. Her family later learnt that she had liver cancer and was a victim of the inefficiency of the public healthcare system for indigenous peoples in Brazil.
After a life dedicated to bringing children into the world and healing the sick in the Mamoadate Indigenous Land in Acre state, between 1 July and 24 September 2024 Maria had to make long journeys to see doctors in Brazil and Peru without ever getting the diagnosis, treatment or hospitalisation she needed. In the end, as her condition worsened, she was taken to a hospital in Assis Brasil, where she died.
Maria's death was just one more example of the disrespectful way in which Brazil treats indigenous peoples. Her family asked for her body to be flown by helicopter to the village of Extrema, where she lived, for the funeral rites, but the flight was suspended because of the smoke from the fires that have covered the state of Acre for more than two months. Maria had to make her last journey by boat down the Iaco River, which has been suffering from the longest drought in 40 years in the Amazon.
Her family spoke out: "This situation of healthcare neglect in our municipality is not new and we frequently have to pay ourselves for tickets, medicines and appointments with doctors in the city." Maria Manchineri was the mother of Lucas Manchineri, Opi's technical advisor and president of the Mappha Association. She leaves behind a legacy of wisdom and care and it is with this memory that Opi expresses its sorrow and solidarity with her family and the Manchineri people.