Lula awards Order of Rio Branco to Eunice Paiva
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has posthumously awarded the Order of Rio Branco to Eunice Paiva, a lawyer who became a symbol of the struggle against the oppression of the Brazilian dictatorship and a defender of human rights. The decree was published on Wednesday (May 28) in the Federal Official Gazette.
Paiva’s story gained even wider recognition after actress Fernanda Torres portrayed her in the film I’m Still Here, directed by Walter Salles. Winner of the Oscar for Best International Feature, the film is based on the book of the same name by Marcelo Rubens Paiva. In the story, the author recounts his family’s history, focusing on his mother’s struggle following the disappearance of his father, former Federal Representative Rubens Paiva, who was abducted by police in 1971 during the Brazilian military dictatorship.
Rubens Paiva’s body was never found, and Eunice spent years searching for answers about what had really happened to her husband. It was only 25 years later that the Brazilian state officially acknowledged the former federal representative’s death.
“Eunice Paiva’s career is regarded as an example of courage in the fight against the oppression of the dictatorship and in defense of democratic freedoms and the rights of indigenous peoples—a cause to which she also dedicated herself. Her life is seen as a model for those committed to preserving and strengthening the democratic rule of law,” a statement from the Brazilian government reads.
The Order of Rio Branco, created in 1963, recognizes outstanding service and civic virtue and encourages actions worthy of honorable mention. The honor is named after the Baron of Rio Branco, the patron of Brazilian diplomacy.
Maria Lucrécia Eunice Facciolla Paiva (1929–2018) was itted to the Order at the rank of Commander.
On January 8 of this year, Brazil’s government established the Eunice Paiva Award for the Defense of Democracy. The award will be presented annually by the Democracy Observatory. Its purpose is to recognize individuals who have made outstanding contributions—whether through professional, intellectual, social, or political efforts—to the preservation, restoration, or strengthening of Brazil’s democratic regime.
