Valdelice Veron
A leading figure in Brazil’s Indigenous movement, Valdelice Veron has for years fought for the demarcation of ancestral lands, the defense of her people’s fundamental rights, and the preservation of their territory, the Tekoha. The daughter of the Cacique Marcos Veron, assassinated in 2003, she continues this struggle with unwavering determination. Because of her commitment, she is regularly subject to death threats.
Holder of a degree in Indigenous Intercultural Education from the Federal University of Grande Dourados (UFGD) and a master’s in Sustainable Development for Traditional Peoples and Territories from the University of Brasília (UnB), she is currently pursuing a PhD in Social Anthropology at the same university.
As a spokesperson for the Guarani Kaiowá, she tirelessly denounces the violence suffered by her people—forced expulsions, murders, environmental destruction—in the highest arenas, from the European Parliament to international forums.
In 2022, she received the Global Leadership Award, presented by Hillary Clinton, for her exemplary commitment to environmental justice and human rights.
Valdelice Veron has long collaborated with Planète Amazone. The NGO organized her first trip to Europe in 2015, during the Summit of Consciences for the Climate in Paris, where she carried the voice of Indigenous Peoples before heads of state. In 2023, she took part in COP28 in Dubai in events co-organized with Planète Amazone and its partners. She also appears in the association’s three major productions: Terra Libre, Protégeons l’Amazonie, and Amazonia, the Heart of Mother Earth, where she embodies the demand for justice and dignity of Indigenous Peoples in the face of neglect and violence.