Bolsonaro says they found “human viscera” in search of journalist and indigenista disappeared in the Amazon

The president of Brazil, Jair Bolsonarosaid this Monday that “human viscera were found floating in the river” during the search by the British journalist Dom Phillips and indigenous expert Bruno Pereira, who disappeared a week ago in the Amazon.

“The searches continue. But the indications lead us to believe that they did some evil with them, because human viscera were already found floating in the river, who are in Brasilia to identify their DNA“, said Bolsonaro during an interview with a local radio.

LOOK: Crime and impunity in the Yavarí Valley, the place where a journalist and his companion disappeared

“Because of the time that has passed, eight days already, it will be very difficult to find them alive. I pray to God that this happens, but the signs point in the opposite direction”, he added.

Previously, Dom Phillips’ family said they had been informed of the discovery of two bodiesbut he was waiting for his identification.

The police for their part did not confirm that any body had been found.

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

“We know that they found two bodies but we are waiting for a confirmation from the Federal Police as to whether they are the bodies of Dom and Bruno,” Dominique Davies, the journalist’s niece, told AFP in London.

The Federal Police (PF) said that “the information that is being disclosed about the discovery of the bodies of Bruno Pereira and Dom Phillips”.

He reiterated that “biological materials” and personal belongings of the disappeared, found in the previous days, were being analyzed.

Phillips, 57, and Pereira, 41, were last seen on Sunday June 5 while on a trip through the Valle del Yavarí region, in the extreme west of the state of Amazonas, on the border with Peru and Colombia.

The journalist, author of dozens of reports on the Amazonwas preparing a book on environmental conservation and Pereira accompanied him as a guide through this remote region where drug traffickers, loggers and illegal fishermen operate.

This expert from the government agency for indigenous affairs (Funai) and an active defender of these communities had received threats from criminal groups that try to invade protected lands to exploit their resources.

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.