What is known about the disappearance of a British journalist and a Brazilian indigenist in the Amazon jungle

A British journalist and a worker from the National Indigenous Institute of Brazil (Funai) were reported missing while visiting the indigenous land of Valle del Yavarí, in the western state of Amazonas.

The disappearance was reported through a statement issued jointly by one of the main indigenous associations in the region, Unijava, and the Observatory for the Human Rights of Isolated or Recently Contacted Indigenous Peoples (OPI).

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According to the British newspaper Guardianemployer of English journalist Dom PhillipsEast I was in the area “working on a book about the environment with the support of the Alicia Patterson Foundation”.

For their part, both Unijava and OPI referred to the Funai worker, Bruno Araujo Pereirasaying that “although he is part of the Funai team, he was not in the region on an institutional missionsince he had permission to attend to personal matters.”

Missing

British journalist Dom Phillips has lived in Salvador de Bahia for 15 years. (TWITTER).

According to the joint statement from Unijava and OPI, Phillips and Pereira disappeared while visiting a riverside community, on their way back to the largest city in the region, Atalaia do Norte.

The statement explained that Pereira and Phillips had traveled on June 3 to an indigenous surveillance post near the town of Lago do Jaburu.

On June 5, the document explains, they were expected to return to Atalaia do Norte, but around 6:00 am they made a stop in the riverside community of San Rafael to visit a community leader known as “Churrasco.”

BBC.

The men were expected to arrive at Atalaia do Norte around 9:00 am -since the journey from San Rafael takes approximately two hours- but this never happened.

The last time the boat in which Pereira and Phillips were traveling was seen on the Itajaí River was in the community of San Gabriel, downstream from San Rafael and en route to Atalia do Norte.

there were threats

The organizations assured in the document that the two individuals would have received “threats” during their visit, although no further details were offered on the subject.

Report on the disappearance of indigenist Bruno Araújo (@tuyu_bruno) and British journalist Dom Phillips (@domphillips) pic.twitter.com/7AdcDn996v

— Opi (@OPI_Isolados) June 6, 2022

“The threat was not the first, others had already been made to the other members of the Unijava technical team, according to other reports already made official before the Federal Police, the Federal Public Ministry in Tabatinga, the National Human Rights Council and the organization Indigenous Peoples Rights International“

The search teams returned to the place where Pereira and Phillips were last seen but, according to Unijava and OPI, “they found no trace.”

As the BBC was able to establish, both the Brazilian Federal Police, as well as the Civil Police, the Yavarí Valley Ethnic Protection Front and the Navy were participating in the search for the men.

The Brazilian Navy also announced that it would carry out “search activities in the region through the naval operations command.”

The Guardian newspaper declared itself “very concerned” and claimed to be seeking information on the case.

“We are in contact with the British embassy in Brazil and with local and national authorities to try to clarify what happened as soon as possible,” the British newspaper said.

Source: Elcomercio