Brazil: they find “apparently human” material in the area where the British journalist and indigenist disappeared

Brazilian federal police reported having found traces of “apparently human” material. in an area where the British journalist and the Brazilian indigenist disappeared last Sunday.

“The search teams located in the river, near the port of Atalaia do Norte, apparently human organic material”, which will be subjected to an appraisal, said the Federal Police (PF), spokesman for the searches carried out together with the Federal Police in a statement. the Armed Forces and local teams.

The investigators, reports the Ansa news agency, found this material near the port of the municipality of Atalaia do Norte, on the Itaquaí river, and the sample will be sent to the National Institute of Criminalistics for “expert analysis”, said the authority.

The local security forces, on the other hand, did not specify whether what was found was in the same place where the firefighters were investigating the signs of the excavations, on the banks of the Itaquaí River, where the missing people were moving, who were there for the investigation. and the production of a book.

“The story we have is disturbed earth, as if it had been dug on the spothe buried something, he threw mud at the bottom, “said firefighter second lieutenant, Geonivan Maciel.

“We cannot say that there is a concrete trace, but we will check the situation to see if there is really something that can identify something of the two missing,” he added.

Dom Phillips, a journalist for The Guardian newspaper, and Bruno Araújo Pereira, an expert on indigenous communities, disappeared on Sunday while sailing to Atalaia do Norte, in the northwestern Amazon, near the border with Peru and Colombia.

They were last seen on Sunday morning, in the community of Sao Gabriel, not far from their destination.

Police also reported that they will compare the traces of blood found Thursday in the boat of the only detainee so far in the case with the genetic material of the missing person.

Witnesses reported seeing fisherman Amarildo Oliveira, 41, pass by on a boat racing in the same direction as Phillips and Pereira after they were last seen. Police say the man was arrested while carrying illegal caliber ammunition and drugs.

Federal police admitted Wednesday that they did not rule out “any line of investigation”, including that of murder, in a region considered “dangerous”.

According to local indigenous activists, Pereira has suffered frequent threats for its fight against invasions of indigenous lands.

Bolsonaro referred to the missing journalist in Amazonas

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said his government was “tirelessly” searching for the missing British journalist Dom Phillips in the Amazon when he delivered a speech before the Summit of the Americas, in Los Angeles, where he met the Lo ha the president of the United States, Joe Biden, reported to Ansa.

The president, criticized for delaying the start of searches and investigations, retorted by stating that “since last Sunday, when we received the news of their disappearance, our Armed Forces and the Federal Police have distinguished themselves for their tireless research. of those people “.

“We pray to God that they are found alive”he assured he added.

For its part, the Brazilian Federal Supreme Court (STF) and the UN have asked the Bolsonarian administration to strengthen measures to identify them.

The judge, Roberto Barroso, of the STF this Friday asked the government to take all necessary measures to find the position of Phillps and Araújo Pereira.

The magistrate established that the government must submit a report on the measures implemented and on the information gathered on the case within five days.

DB