Deputies differ on government actions in the search for the missing in the Amazon

At the CNN debate this Thursday (16), the federal deputies José Medeiros (PL-MT), deputy leader of the Government in the Chamber, and Paulo Teixeira (PT-SP), deputy leader of the opposition in the Chamber, differed on the government’s actions in the search for the indigenist Bruno Pereira and the British journalist Dom Phillips, who disappeared in the Amazon.

For Teixeira, “the searches took a long time”.

“The President of the Republic should, in the first moment when he learned of the disappearance, have mobilized the Armed Forces, the Navy, because it is a river, the Army that knows the region a lot, the Air Force”, he said.

Medeiros, however, claims that the Brazilian government acted in the first place to act in the search for the disappeared.

“I want to highlight the work of the Armed Forces, that of the Federal Police, which responded to Brazil and the world in record time. Already in the first days they managed to discover the suspects and that ended up unraveling this tragedy”, he evaluated.

The PT deputy, deputy leader of the opposition, commented on the time the authorities took in the search.

“Their disappearance [Bruno e Dom] was registered on the 5th of June, the bodies were found on the 16th of June. There was only a stronger mobilization of the government after an international mobilization”, said Teixeira.

On the other hand, Medeiros points to the remote region as a hindrance to the searches. “We are dealing with a world. That[Amazon]is a very big border, rivers, a tangle. It’s something that we can’t even measure how the Federal Police managed to do it in record time”, he said, [Amazônia}éumafronteiramuitogranderiosumemaranhadoÉalgoqueagentenãoconseguedimensionaratécomoaPolíciaFederalconseguiufazerissoemtemporecorde“disse

Parliamentarians also commented on crimes in the region and on current and previous government investment to combat killings and attacks on indigenous peoples. Watch the full debate in the video above.

THE CNN drew up a timeline that shows the investigation step by step, since the disappearance was reported. Look:

• 05/31 – Indigenist Bruno Araújo Pereira sends a message to the Union of Indigenous Organizations of Vale do Javari (Univaja) reporting risk of death. Bruno worked denouncing illegal fishing in Vale do Javari;
• 06/05 – Bruno and Dom Phillips disappear in Vale do Javari. Univaja quickly contacted the police to report the case. According to information from Univaja, the two arrived at Lago do Jaburu on June 3 to visit the Indigenous Surveillance team. On the 5th, Pereira and Phillips left the lake and left for the São Rafael community, where the indigenist would participate in a meeting. According to the information exchanged via the SPOT Satellite Communication Device, they arrived at their destination around 6 am. After talking to a local person, they both started back to Atalaia do Norte and were never seen again;
• 06/07 – The Federal Police begins the search for Bruno and Dom. On the same day, the Civil Police of Amazonas arrested Amarildo, the “Pelado”, for possession of drugs and ammunition. Amarildo had been pointed out by witnesses as having been seen near Bruno and Dom and threatened both. To the police, Amarildo said he was a fisherman;
• 06/09 – The Federal Police find Amarildo’s speedboat with traces of blood;
• 06/11 – A witness points to the participation of Oseney da Costa, “Dos Santos”, in the case. He is described as a relative of Amarildo; that he had asked the witness for a ride and was armed with a shotgun. Oseney finds Amarildo and they leave together;
• 06/12 – During searches, police find objects of Bruno and Dom. The belongings (backpack, badge, boots) were found near Amarildo and Oseney’s house. The police go down the river and see an area of ​​forest out of phase, as if someone had crossed with a speedboat in an uncontrolled way, two minutes from Oseney’s house. In this vicinity, the police find the personal effects of the disappeared;
• 06/14 – “Dos Santos” is arrested in connection with the disappearance of Bruno and Dom;
• 06/15 – Amarildo confesses that he buried Bruno and Dom, police search for the bodies. The information from the Federal Police was verified by the anchor of the CNN Kenzo Machida.
• 06/16 – Mortal remains are found in the Amazon near the place indicated by Amarildo. The investigation will be carried out by the PF in Brasília. The Federal Police also confirmed to the CNN that three more people may be involved in the case besides Amarildo and Oseney