During the tenth edition of FOLIO – Óbidos International Literary Festival, which had “Borders" as its main theme, we had the privilege of speaking with artist Denilson Baniwa, from the Baniwa People of the Upper Rio Negro, in Amazonas, Brazil.

Another highlight of Denilson's visit to Portugal was the opening of his first solo exhibition in Lisbon. "Contra-Feitiço" (Counter-Spell), on display at Galeria Quadrum until February 15, 2026, includes new works created during his stay in Portugal, and was curated by Ritó Natálio and the Terra Batida platform.

Winner of the 2019 PIPA award and one of the curators of the Brazilian Pavilion at the 2024 Venice Biennale, Denilson Baniwa has become an essential voice in the Brazilian contemporary art scene. During this conversation, we touch on some of the multiple directions opened up by his work, which moves in the spaces between technology and ancestry, protest and poetry, the Rio Negro and the world.

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Official website for FOLIO - Obidos International literary Festival: https://foliofestival.com/

Official website for Terra Batida: https://terrabatida.org

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WATCH the video version of this interview or READ a transcript here: https://azimuthworldfoundation.org/stories/DenilsonBaniwa/

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Durante a décima edição do FOLIO – Festival Literário Internacional de Óbidos, que este ano explorou o tema "Fronteiras", tivemos o privilégio de conversar com Denilson Baniwa, artista originário do povo Baniwa do Alto Rio Negro, no Amazonas.

A vinda de Denilson a Portugal marcou também a inauguração da sua primeira exposição individual em Lisboa. "Contra-Feitiço", patente na Galeria Quadrum até 15 de fevereiro de 2026, apresenta novos trabalhos criados durante a sua estadia em Portugal, numa curadoria de Ritó Natálio e da plataforma Terra Batida.

Vencedor do prémio PIPA 2019 e um dos curadores do Pavilhão do Brasil na Bienal de Veneza de 2024, Denilson Baniwa tornou-se uma voz incontornável da arte contemporânea brasileira. Nesta conversa, seguimos algumas das múltiplas direções abertas pelo seu trabalho – entre tecnologia e ancestralidade, entre protesto e poesia, entre o Rio Negro e o mundo.

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Website Oficial FOLIO - Festival Literário Internacional de Óbidos: https://foliofestival.com/

Website Oficial Terra Batida: https://terrabatida.org

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VEJA a versão em vídeo desta entrevista ou LEIA a versão escrita aqui:

https://azimuthworldfoundation.org/pt-pt/historias/DenilsonBaniwa

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Today we bring you a conversation recorded in Covas do Barroso, in northern Portugal, during the annual resistance camp against lithium mining. This small mountain village, recognized by the FAO as a World Agricultural Heritage Site, faces plans for one of Europe's largest open-pit lithium mines. A mine that threatens to destroy 2,000 hectares of community land, contaminate the waters of the Covas River—a tributary of the Douro river—and displace a community that has lived self-sufficiently for generations. We hear from Aida Fernandes (local farmer), Catarina Alves Scarrott (born in Covas, and currently a teacher in London) and Mariana Riquito (researcher), all members of the local, grassroots association Unidos em Defesa de Covas do Barroso (UDCB).

SUPPORT THIS CAUSE: if you’re in the United States, please head to savebarroso.com - the official website of Americans for the Conservation of Barroso Portugal, a US-based 501(c)(3) organization.

LISTEN to the podcast version of this interview or READ transcripts in English and Portuguese here: https://azimuthworldfoundation.org/insights

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Hoje partilhamos uma conversa gravada em Covas do Barroso, no norte de Portugal, durante o acampamento anual de resistência contra a exploração de lítio. Esta pequena aldeia, reconhecida pela FAO como Património Agrícola Mundial, enfrenta os planos para uma das maiores minas de lítio a céu aberto da Europa. Uma mina que ameaça destruir 2000 hectares de baldios comunitários, contaminar as águas do Rio Covas - afluente do Douro - e deslocar uma comunidade que há gerações vive de forma autossuficiente. Durante este episódio, conversamos com Aida Fernandes (agricultora local), Catarina Alves Scarrott (natural de Covas e actualmente professora em Londres) e Mariana Riquito (investigadora), que integram a Unidos em Defesa de Covas do Barroso.

APOIE A UDCB: https://udcb.pt/

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https://azimuthworldfoundation.org/pt-pt/perspectivas/

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Born in the Colombian Amazon, Juan Carlos Galeano bridges poetry, academia, and environmental activism with rare authenticity. His work, including "Folktales of the Amazon" and poetry inspired by Amazonian cosmogonies, reveals the intricate relationships between Indigenous, mestizo, and Afro-descendant communities and the forests, rivers, and beings they share their lives with.

At Florida State University, Galeano teaches Latin American poetry while directing "Journey into Amazonia," a field program in the Peruvian Amazon where students engage directly with local communities and environments rather than just studying them from afar.

We caught up with Juan Carlos at the FOLIO Festival in Óbidos, Portugal, where his book "Amazonia" has just been translated into Portuguese, further extending the reach of these essential Amazonian perspectives.

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Official website for FOLIO - Obidos International literary Festival: https://foliofestival.com/

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Learn more about Juan Carlos Galeano’s work: https://myweb.fsu.edu/jgaleano/

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WATCH a video version of this interview or READ transcripts in English and Portuguese here: https://azimuthworldfoundation.org/insights/entry/stories/jcgaleano.html

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Nascido na Amazónia colombiana, Juan Carlos Galeano move-se entre a poesia, a academia e o activismo ambiental com uma autenticidade única. A sua obra, incluindo Contos Amazónicos e poesia inspirada nas cosmogonias amazónicas, revela as intrincadas relações entre comunidades indígenas, mestiças e afrodescendentes com as florestas, os rios e os seres com quem partilham a vida.

Na Florida State University, Galeano ensina poesia latino-americana e é responsável por Journey into Amazonia, um programa de campo na Amazónia peruana, onde os alunos interagem directamente com as comunidades e os ambientes locais.

Conversámos com Juan Carlos no Festival FOLIO, em Óbidos, Portugal, onde o seu livro Amazónia acaba de ser traduzido para português, ampliando ainda mais o alcance destas perspectivas essenciais sobre a Amazónia.

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Website Oficial FOLIO - Festival Literário Internacional de Óbidos: https://foliofestival.com/

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A edição portuguesa de “AMAZÓNIA – Antologia e novos poemas” está disponível em: https://amariposa.net/amazonia-juan-carlos-galeano/

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VEJA a versão em vídeo desta entrevista ou LEIA a versão escrita em Português ou Inglês aqui:

https://azimuthworldfoundation.org/insights/entry/stories/jcgaleano.html

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It’s an honor to share our conversation with Verenilde Pereira, a pioneering voice of Afro-Indigenous literature and journalism in Brazil. Born in Manaus in 1956, the daughter of a black mother and an Indigenous Sateré Mawé father, Verenilde’s personal history embodies the complexities of Amazonian identity. A journalist, researcher, activist and writer, Verenilde has dedicated her life to amplifying the voices of marginalized communities in the Amazon. Her novel "An Endless River", published in 1998 and recently rediscovered and acclaimed, is considered a founding work of Afro-Indigenous Brazilian literature. Through the lives of four female characters, Verenilde portrays the devastating impact of a religious mission on a traditional community.

With a PhD in Journalism and Society from the University of Brasilia, her thesis on the media coverage of the Waimiri-Atroari conflict denounced the deep and recurring media bias against traditional communities, through a work that reflects her commitment to challenging dominant narratives and amplifying voices that have almost been silenced.

We’re very excited to talk to Verenilde at FOLIO festival, where we took part in a round table on “World Configurations". At Azimuth World Foundation, we want to highlight the importance of Indigenous knowledge in creating solutions to global challenges. Verenilde Pereira's perspectives and work can help us in this mission, and offer valuable lessons on how we can build bridges across different kinds of knowledge.

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Official website for FOLIO - Obidos International literary Festival: https://foliofestival.com/

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WATCH the video version of this interview or READ transcripts in English and Portuguese here: https://azimuthworldfoundation.org/insights/entry/stories/verenilde.html

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É uma honra falar com Verenilde Pereira, voz pioneira na literatura e jornalismo afro-indígena do Brasil. Nascida em Manaus em 1956, filha de mãe negra e pai indígena Sateré Mawé, Verenilde personifica na sua própria história as complexidades da identidade amazónica. Jornalista, investigadora, activista e escritora, Verenilde tem dedicado a sua vida a dar voz às comunidades marginalizadas da Amazónia. O seu romance "Um Rio Sem Fim", publicado em 1998 e recentemente redescoberto e aclamado, é considerado uma obra fundadora da literatura afro-indígena brasileira. Nele, através das vidas de quatro personagens femininas, Verenilde retrata o impacto devastador de uma missão religiosa sobre uma comunidade tradicional.

Doutorada em Jornalismo e Sociedade pela Universidade de Brasília, a sua tese sobre a cobertura mediática do conflito Waimiri-Atroari denunciou a profunda e recorrente violência mediática contra comunidades tradicionais, um trabalho que reflete o seu compromisso em desafiar narrativas dominantes e amplificar vozes que foram, quase, silenciadas.

Estamos muito entusiasmados por poder falar com Verenilde no FOLIO, onde participámos na mesa-redonda "Configurações de mundos”. Na Azimuth World Foundation, queremos ajudar a sublinhar a importância do conhecimento indígena na criação de soluções para os desafios globais. A obra, as perspectivas e trabalho de Verenilde Pereira podem ajudar-nos na nossa missão, e oferecem-nos lições valiosas sobre como podemos construir pontes entre diferentes formas de conhecimento.

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Website Oficial FOLIO - Festival Literário Internacional de Óbidos: https://foliofestival.com/

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VEJA a versão em vídeo desta entrevista ou LEIA a versão escrita em Português ou Inglês aqui: https://azimuthworldfoundation.org/insights/entry/stories/verenilde.html

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AZIMUTH WORLD FOUNDATION:

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