Indigenist Bruno Pereira, who disappeared since Sunday (5th) in the Indigenous Land of Vale do Javari, in Amazonas, warned in December 2021 about the “number of invasions” in the region.
“I have been working there for 11 years and I have never seen such a difficult situation. The indigenous people say that today the number of invasions is comparable to the period before the demarcation. For this reason, it is absolutely necessary that the indigenous people look for their own forms of organization, setting up a monitoring scheme capable of stopping violent conflicts”, the professional told WWF-Brasil, on December 10th of last year.
The Vale do Javari Indigenous Land, where Pereira and the correspondent of the newspaper “The Guardian” Dom Phillips disappeared, concentrates the largest number of isolated peoples in the world. According to the Union of Indigenous Organizations of Vale do Javari (Univaja), the professionals went to a region known as Lago do Jaburu to interview indigenous people.
In an interview with CNN , Univaja’s coordinating assistant, Soraya Zaiden, said on Tuesday (7) that she does not consider the possibility that the two were lost in the region. For Soraya, the team may have suffered some act of violence.
“We haven’t even considered that possibility. Bruno knows the region very well, he knows it very well. And he has worked there for several years. Dom has already participated in some expeditions that Bruno coordinated, mainly during the period he was at Funai. So don’t think about it, that possibility doesn’t exist,” he said.
Read the note from Itamaraty about the disappearance below
“Disappearance of indigenist Bruno Pereira and British journalist Dom Phillips in the Amazon
The Brazilian Government became aware, with great concern, of the news that British journalist Dom Phillips and indigenist Bruno Pereira are missing in the Vale do Javari region, in the Amazon.
Mobilized from the outset, the Federal Police Department (PF) is working in that region and taking all measures to locate them as quickly as possible. The PF has made repeated incursions and has had the support of the Brazilian Navy, which has joined efforts in the search efforts of both citizens.
The Brazilian Government will continue to monitor the search with the zeal that the case demands and will make the necessary efforts to promptly find the British press professional and the employee of the National Indian Foundation.
In the event that the disappearance was caused by criminal activity, all measures will be taken to bring the perpetrators to justice.
Family members and co-workers of the missing will be kept abreast of the progress of the search.”
Federal Police Note
“The Federal Police informs that since it became aware of the disappearance of the indigenist Bruno Araújo Pereira, from the National Indian Foundation (Funai), and of the English journalist Dom Phillips, a contributor to the newspaper The Guardian, it has been carrying out investigative and police intelligence measures aimed at clarification of the facts and the resolution of the case.
On yesterday’s date, 06/06/2022, with the support of the Navy, incursions were carried out in the Itaquaí River channel, more precisely in the stretch between the itui-itauqai ethno-environmental protection front and the municipality of Atalaia do Norte/AM, northwest region of the Amazon.
From the investigations carried out, it was possible to identify 02 (two) people who had contact with the disappeared, who were sent to the Civil Police of Atalaia do Norte to provide clarification. However, none of them were arrested.
Early this morning, 07/06/2022, the search was resumed by the Navy and the Federal Police, with new incursions into the river and with the support of a helicopter flying over the region.
As the case evolves, new information will be released.
*With information from Vianey Bentes, André Rosa and Carolina Farias
Source: CNN Brasil
