Luciano Mendes de Almeida, 75; Brazilian Defended Human Rights
Luciano Mendes de Almeida, 75, a Brazilian archbishop and avid human rights defender, died Sunday in Sao Paulo of liver cancer.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said Almeida “played a relevant role in the country’s fight for re-democratization and dedicated his life for Brazil’s poor.”
Almeida worked closely with the government to promote projects defending the human rights of the country’s poor.
He also wrote a weekly column for the Folha de S. Paulo newspaper, Brazil’s largest, focusing largely on human rights.
Almeida was vice president of the Latin American Bishops Council from 1995 to 1998.
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