A British journalist and a Brazilian indigenist disappear in the Amazon

British journalist Dom Phillips, a contributor to The Guardian, and indigenist Brazilian Bruno Araújo Pereira have been missing since Sunday in the Javarí Valley, one of the most remote regions of the Amazon, confirmed indigenous sources.

Phillips and Araújo, a deep connoisseur of the region and who had suffered threats a few days ago by invaders, have been missing for more than 30 hours, according to a statement from the Union of Indigenous Organizations of the Javarí Valley ( Univaja).

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The Javarí Valley is an extensive region of rivers and jungle in the heart of the Amazon, bordering Peru, and where the largest number of isolated indigenous people in the world lives. The area is threatened by illegal fishing and mining and in recent years has become a drug trafficking route.

The Prosecutor’s Office reported that it activated the Federal Police, the Civil Police and the Navy, which confirmed that it will be in charge of conducting the searches in the region.

Track of both was lost when they were traveling from the riverside community of Sao Rafael to the city of Atalaia do Norte, in the state of Amazonas, where they should have arrived on Sunday morning.

Phillips and Araújo were traveling in a new boat, with 70 liters of gasoline, enough for the trip, and were last seen near the community of Sao Gabriel, a few kilometers from Sao Rafael.

Several search teams made up of indigenous people who know the region extensively searched the area, but did not find the boat.

Univaja underlined that, the same week of his disappearance, Araújo’s team had received threats from invaders who occupy the region, such as garimpeiros, loggers and illegal fishermen.

Araújo is one of the main indigenists in Brazil and a specialist in uncontacted native peoples. For years, he was the Regional Coordinator of the National Indian Foundation (Funai) in Atalaia do Norte, the region where he was last seen, but he currently had an unpaid leave of absence.

Phillips, for his part, is a veteran journalist based in Brazil for 15 years and who has collaborated with various international media, such as the Financial Times, the New York Times or the Washington Post, among others. He was currently in the Amazon investigating for the publication of a book on the Javarí Valley.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) urged Brazilian authorities to carry out a quick and thorough search to ensure they are found as soon as possible.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) also spoke in this regard, noting that it is “extremely important” that the authorities dedicate “all available and necessary resources to immediately carry out the searches in order to guarantee, as soon as possible, the security of the two”.

Source: Elcomercio

Ronald Payne

I, Ronald Payne, am a journalist and author who dedicated his life to telling the stories that need to be said. I have over 7 years of experience as a reporter and editor, covering everything from politics to business to crime.