Ten days after the disappearance of British journalist Dom Phillips and Brazilian expert Bruno Pereira in the Amazon, the worst fears have been confirmed: a suspect has admitted that their bodies were buried and “human remains” were found at the scene of searches. .
We obtained the confession of the first of the two arrested suspects […] who narrated in detail how the crime was committed and told us where the corpses were buriedexplained to the press in Manaus (Northern Brazil) the head of the federal police of the state of Amazonas, Eduardo Alexandre Fontes.
The police officer indicated that the suspect, a 41-year-old fisherman named Amarildo da Costa de Oliveira, admitted to participating in crimebut its role is not specified.
The investigation continues to pinpoint the circumstances and motives of the crime, as does Oliveira’s exact role. There was a confrontation, in the beginning [Oliveira] claimed that [les deux hommes avaient été tués] by gun, continued Mr. Fontes without further detail. He did not rule out further arrests.
” Excavations have been carried out at the site, excavations will continue, but human remains have already been found. Once we can verify thanks to this expertise that it is indeed the remains of the corpses of Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira, they will be returned to the families. “
Oliveira, nickname Pelado and was arrested on June 7, taken Wednesday by police to the place where he said he buried the bodies to show them the exact location.
Witnesses said they saw him pass very fast aboard the boat in the same direction as Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira’s boat, before they disappeared.
The second suspect, Oseney da Costa de Oliveira, said Dos Santoswas arrested on Tuesday, suspected in connection with the case, according to federal police. According to the G1 site, this will be the brother of the first suspect.
Even Dos Santos refusing to participate in the crime, we have evidence against him and clues about others [troisième] person we are investigatingsaid Mr. Fontes.
The beginning of a fight for justice
The journalist’s Brazilian wife, Alessandra Sampaio, thanked in a statement all the groups that conducted the research, especially the indigenous volunteers that the absence at the press conference was criticized by many observers.
” Although we are still waiting for final confirmations, this tragic outcome ends in the anxiety of not knowing where Dom and Bruno are. Now we can take them home and say goodbye with love. “
Today we are also beginning our fight for justicehe added, to get the necessary steps to ensure that such tragedies do not recur.
The journalist and the expert were last seen on June 5, during an expedition in the Javari Valley region, near the border of Peru and Colombia and considered extremely dangerous due to drug trafficking, fishing or illegal panning of gold is on the rise.
The area has become a strategic axis in recent years for gangs of drug traffickers carrying cocaine or cannabis produced in neighboring countries by river.
The author of dozens of Amazon reports, Dom Phillips, 57, who has lived in Brazil for 15 years, went there again as part of research for a book on environmental protection.
Bruno Pereira, 41, a recognized expert and defender of indigenous rights, has worked for many years at the Brazilian government agency for indigenous affairs (FUNAI).
In particular, he headed the branch of FUNAI in Atalaia do Norte (Northwest), where the two men must return by boat when they disappear, and a program to protect isolated indigenous groups.
A political crime
The Union of Indigenous Peoples of the Javari Valley, whose members took part in the searches, described the killing as political crimerecalling that it had already alerted the authorities to the presence of illegal groups of fishermen and hunters associated with drug traffickers and regretted that the measures had not yet been taken. not taken fast enough.
” When the police and press leave, what will happen to us? Will we continue to live under threat? “
Amazon is at the mercy of the law of the strongest, where cruelty is commoncried in a press release, theNGO WWF-Brazil, announcing it angry in the face of the lack of protection provided by the State to the people in the forest and their protectors.
The Greenpeace organization estimates thatover the past three yearsBrazil has become the country of Everything is alloweda situation reinforced, according to him, by the government of the far -right President Jair Bolsonaro, who has been in power since 2019.
” Invasion and allocation of land, permitted. The proliferation of mines, permits. Illegal acquisition of timber, permits. Territorial disputes, allowed. Kill to make sure no one can stop these criminal activities, allow. “
Father of three, Bruno Pereira has several times recounted receiving threats from loggers, miners and illegal fishermen who attempted to encroach on the protected land.
The loss of the two men has sparked outrage around the world, with reactions from high -ranking political personalities and celebrities such as members of Irish rock band U2.
Right -wing President Jair Bolsonaro, who favors mining and farming indigenous reserves in the Amazon, has been heavily criticized for calling their expedition aworthless adventure.
On Wednesday, he said Dom Phillips frowning on Amazon because he wrote many reports against gold panners, in the environmentadded: in this very isolated place, many people did not like it.
This is very sadtweeted left-wing former president Lula da Silva (2003-2011), 2022 presidential candidate. People who died defending indigenous lands and the environment. That can’t be Brazil.
France Media Agency
Source: Radio-Canada
