Ministry of Justice reinforces searches for indigenist and journalist in Amazonas

The Minister of Justice and Public Security, Anderson Torres, informed that the ministry is working together with the Navy in the search for the indigenist Bruno Araújo Pereira, and the English journalist Dom Phillips, correspondent of the newspaper The Guardian, disappeared since Sunday (5) in the Valley. do Javari, in Amazonas.

“Operations take place simultaneously by air, sea and land and by determination of the Ministry of Justice, the search for the indigenist and the journalist counts on teams from the Federal Police, National Public Security Force and Funai [Fundação Nacional do Índio]”, informed the ministry, in a post that was republished by the minister.

This Monday (6), Torres met with the Attorney General of the Republic, Augusto Aras, to deal with the monitoring of the measures taken to locate the missing duo.

“On the occasion, the PGR highlighted the importance of the institutions acting together in the searches and in the other developments of the case. The Federal Public Ministry acts both in the first instance, with the prosecutors located in the region, and through the Chamber of Indigenous Populations and Traditional Communities and the attorney general, who maintains permanent dialogue with representatives of other institutions acting in the case. informed the PGR.

Also this Monday, the matter was the subject of another meeting, focusing on logistical aspects related to searches conducted by the Federal Police, Navy and National Force, which maintain bases in the region. The agents are sweeping the stretch between the São Rafael community and the municipality of Atalaia do Norte, where the disappearance would have occurred.

Interview and threats

According to the Union of Indigenous Organizations of Vale do Javari (Univaja), Phillips was going to a locality, called Lago do Jaburu, to interview indigenous people and Pereira accompanied him. According to a note from indigenous organizations and The Guardian, the indigenist is the target of threats from loggers and miners who try to invade indigenous lands in the region.

The two traveled with the aim of visiting an Indigenous Surveillance team that is located near Lago do Jaburu, a location close to the Funai Surveillance Base (National Indian Foundation) on the Ituí River.

The two arrived at the destination on Friday (3) at 19:25. On Sunday, the pair would return in the morning to the city of Atalaia do Norte, however, before they stopped in the São Rafael community, on a previously scheduled visit.

The indigenist would hold a meeting with a member of the community nicknamed Churrasco. The meeting would deal with joint work between riverside people and indigenous people in the surveillance of the territory, which is greatly affected by invasions, according to Univaja.

“From what appears in the information exchanged, via Satellite Communication Device [SPOT, na sigla em inglês], they arrived in the São Rafael community around 6 am, where they talked to Churrasco’s wife, since he was not in the community and then left for Atalaia do Norte, a trip that takes approximately two hours. Thus, they should have arrived at around 8:00 am, 9:00 am in the city, which did not happen,” said the note from the indigenous associations.

At around 2 pm, a search team left Atalaia do Norte formed by indigenous people “extremely knowledgeable about the region”, according to the statement. The team covered the same stretch that Pereira and Dom Phillips had supposedly covered, but no trace was found.

Their latest sighting information is from the São Gabriel community with reports that they saw the boat passing towards Atalaia do Norte. At 16:00, another search team left Tabatinga, in a larger vessel, returning to the same place, again no clue was found.

According to the statement, Pereira is experienced and has a deep knowledge of the region, having been the Regional Coordinator of Funai de Atalaia do Norte for years.

“The two disappeared were traveling with a new boat, 40 HP, with 70 liters of gasoline, enough for the trip and seven drums.
fuel voids. We emphasize that in the week of the disappearance, as reported by Univaja employees, the team received threats in the field. The threat was not the first, others were already being made to other members of Univaja’s technical team, in addition to other reports already
made official to the Federal Police, the Federal Public Ministry in Tabatinga, the National Human Rights Council and Indigenous Peoples Rights International,” the association said.

Fear for the journalist’s safety

In a statement, The Guardian confirmed the disappearance of the British journalist, who is working on a book on the environment with support from the Alicia Patterson Foundation. Philips is currently based in Salvador and has been reporting on Brazil for over 15 years for newspapers such as the Guardian, Washington Post, New York Times and the Financial Times.

“Fears are growing about the safety of a British journalist and a Brazilian indigenous expert who disappeared in one of the most remote corners of the Amazon a few days after receiving threats.

“The Guardian is very concerned and urgently seeks information on the whereabouts and condition of Phillips. We are in contact with the British Embassy in Brazil and local and national authorities to try to get the facts straight as quickly as possible.”

Phillips joined one of Pereira’s expeditions to the same region in 2018 to report on the lost tribes of the Amazon to the Guardian.

“He is known for his love of the Amazon region and has traveled there extensively to report on the crisis Brazil’s environment and its indigenous communities face,” the newspaper’s statement reads.

Last week, Phillips posted a video on his Instagram profile on one of the Amazon rivers. “Amazônia you beautiful”, posted the journalist.

“He is a cautious journalist with an impressive understanding of the complexities of Brazil’s environmental crisis,” wrote Margaret Engel, executive director of the Alicia Patterson Foundation, which funds Phillips’ book. “And he’s a beautiful writer and a lovely person. The best of our investment.”

The Whashington Post, where Phillips has also been a contributor for years, also lamented the disappearance and recalled that “in September 2019, an indigenous affairs agency employee was shot dead in Tabatinga, the largest city in the region,” the outlet said. .

“The crime was never solved,” the Post recalled.

Through a note, Funai informed that it is following the case and is in contact with the security forces that operate in the region, in addition to collaborating with the searches. He is not on official mission with the agency.

“Although the indigenist Bruno da Cunha Araújo Pereira is part of the Funai staff, he was not in the region on an institutional mission, as he is on leave to deal with private interests,” the note said.

The CNN report also reached out to the Army and the Ministry of Defense and is awaiting more information about the disappearance of the professionals.

The British Embassy in Brazil said it was in contact with local authorities following reports of the disappearance. “We are providing consular support for your family,” the statement reads.

Reinforcement in Atalaia

The Governor of Amazonas, Wilson Lima (União Brasil), ordered the Public Security Secretariat to send specialized police reinforcements to the municipality of Atalaia do Norte, to support the search and investigation into the disappearance of the indigenist and the English journalist.

The head of the 50th Civil Police Interactive Precinct (DIP), delegate Alex Perez, set up a task force between the Military and Civil Police, in addition to volunteers to intensify the search in the region, which has already begun.

“SSP-AM is taking all appropriate measures to assist in the elucidation of the case, in collaboration with the MPF, Federal Police and Funai”, said the state government.

(Posted by Carolina Farias)