PN # 60 - Investigation into the death of Mãe Bernadete

The Arns Commission expresses its strongest condemnation of the murder of Bernadete Pacífico, the beloved Mãe Bernadete, who was brutally shot to death on Thursday (August 17) at the terreiro she led in the municipality of Simões Filho, in the metropolitan area of Salvador.

A major symbol of the quilombo struggle in Brazil, Mãe Bernadete was a tireless voice in defense of the rights, culture, and spirituality of black people. As a public figure, she headed the National Coordination of Rural Black Quilombo Communities (Conaq) and served as Secretary for the Promotion of Racial Equality in Simões Filho.

As a religious leader, she was one of the most respected ialorixás in Bahia, recognized as a spiritual guide by different generations. As a black woman and mother, she was still mourning the murder of her son, Flávio Pacífico, also a black leader, which occurred years ago.

Mãe Bernadete spent the last months of her life warning that she was receiving threats, including at a recent meeting of quilombolas with Justice Rosa Weber, president of the Supreme Court. But prejudice, violence, and hatred against what this black woman represented as a person and as a leader prevailed.

What is expected of the authorities, who did not act with the necessary competence to prevent a foretold crime, is a swift and rigorous investigation, with the perpetrators and possible instigators being held accountable. This is a fitting response to Brazilian society, which today comprises 1.3 million quilombolas, as revealed by the 2022 Census. The Arns Commission takes this opportunity to send its sincere condolences to the family of Mãe Bernadete and to the entire community she led.