Brazil: found blood on the suspect’s boat for the disappearance of a British journalist in the Amazon

Brazil’s Federal Police (PF) found her on Thursday “traces of blood” on the boat of the only suspect arrested for the disappearance of the British journalist Don Phillips and an indigenist in the Brazilian Amazon.

The samples will be analyzed as part of the investigation and have already been sent to Manaus, the regional capital.

British journalist Dom Phillips, contributor to The Guardian newspaper, and Brazilian indigenous activist Bruno Araújo Pereira they have disappeared since last Sunday morning in the Javari Valley, a remote region and in the jungle of the Brazilian Amazon, where they were conducting research to write a book.

According to a statement by the Crisis Management Committee, created to coordinate research activities, “traces of blood were found on the boat of Amarildo da Costa de Oliveira, 41 and known as ‘Pelado’, caught red-handed on Tuesday.”.

“The collected material is on its way to Manaus, the regional capital, aboard the Black Hawk tactical helicopter, to be subjected to an appraisal”, reads the communiqué of the commission, headed by the PF and in which the Civil Police also participate. and Militarized. Regional, Navy and Army firefighters.

Judge Jacinta Silva dos Santos, reports the Efe agency, accepted the request for “temporary detention” of the alias Pelado, who were seized weapons, ammunition and illegal drugs. the suspect was seen on Sunday on a boat behind the boat of the disappeared, who were heading by river towards the municipality of Atalaia de Norte.

According to the committee, the so-called “Operation Javarí” has traveled 100 kilometers of the region by river and plane in the last 24 hours and investigations have been made with the inhabitants of the cities of Santa Cruz, Cachoeira, Sao Gabriel and Sao Rafael, one city ​​where the missing were last seen alive.

Criticism of international organizations to Jair Bolsonaro

Given the lack of concrete news, the Brazilian government is resisting pressure from international organizations, which they accuse him of having “reacted late” Self.

This Thursday, Amnesty International (AI) even urged the authorities of Colombia and Peru to collaborate in the search for the missing, who were in a region close to the border with those countries, in an area where conducted an investigation into threats against indigenous people.

According to AI, “given the lack of localization of the missing by the Brazilian authorities”, it is necessary for the government of President Jair Bolsonaro to redouble its efforts, as well as international cooperation.

Bolsonaro expressed a desire that they “find each other”, but admitted the possibility that “they were executed”. And he said they were reckless because of their “adventure” in a region that has become a hotspot for groups engaged in illegal logging, fishing, mining and hunting, as well as drug trafficking.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) criticized the local authorities’ delay in starting the searches on Wednesday, while the UK Embassy’s Chargé d’Affaires and acting head of that diplomatic representation, Melanie Hopkins, expressed her Thursday. “concern” For the lack of further news.

“We understand that the remote location of the region poses significant logistical challenges and we have already asked the Brazilian government to do everything possible to investigate the case and we appreciate the attention paid so far,” Hopkins said on his Twitter profile.

With information from EFE

DB