Police plane lands in Brasília with remains of two missing

The police plane that carried the human remains found in the search for indigenous advocate Bruno Araújo Pereira and British journalist Dom Phillips landed at the Brasília airport at approximately 6:30 pm Thursday. The material is currently being taken to the National Institute of Forensic Science, where it will be examined for identify confirmation. 

On Wednesday (15), the Federal Police confirmed the remains were found during a search conducted in the presence of fisherman Amarildo da Costa Oliveira, also known as Pelado. He confessed to taking part in the disappearance and showed the place where the bodies were buried. 

After his confession, officers went to the location indicated, and the crime scene was reconstituted. During the excavations, agents found human remains in a heavily wooded area. 

Investigators will continue probing into the alleged participation of more people in the case and searching for the boat used by the suspects to carry out the crimes. 

Indigenous expert Bruno Araújo Pereira and British journalist Dom Phillips, a correspondent for The Guardian in Brazil, had been missing since June 5 in the Vale do Javari region, western Amazonas state. 

According to the local indigenous association UNIVAJA, Pereira and Phillips arrived at the Jaburu Lake, near the Ituí river, on Friday (3). The journalist was coming for a visit to interview indigenous people.

On Sunday (5), UNIVAJA further reported, the two were to return to the town of Atalaia do Norte after a stop in the São Rafael community, where he was expected to meet with with a community member nicknamed Churrasco. On the same day, a UNIVAJA search team left Atalaia do Norte in search of the two men, but did not find them and they were reported missing.

Condolences

Supreme Court Chief Justice and head of the National Council of Justice Luiz Fux, expressed his grief at the confirmation of the murder of the indigenous activist and the journalist. Fux stated the case will be monitored by a work group from the council. 

“On behalf of the observatories and the work group, Justice Luiz Fux expresses his deep sadness over the events and declares to family members and friends that the struggle of the indigenous activist and the journalist for the protection of human rights and the preservation of the Amazon will never be forgotten,” he stated. 

In a statement, the Chamber of Indigenous Peoples and Traditional Communities, of the Federal Prosecution Service, declared that the Brazilian state cannot tolerate acts of violence against defenders of human rights. 

“Mindful of the gravity of the situation, of the pain and anguish of family members and friends of indigenous advocate Bruno Pereira and journalist Dom Phillips, we express our sympathies while restating the commitment of federal prosecutors in continuing to monitor and to act in accordance with its responsibilities, in the search for the complete clarification of the facts and the guarantee of indigenous rights,” the agency stated. 

On Wednesday (15), Senate head Senator Rodrigo Pacheco also expressed condolences. 

“It is with great sorrow that I hear the news that the remains of indigenous expert Bruno Araújo and journalist Dom Phillips have been found. In respect to the victims, to the Amazon, and to the freedom of the press, I hope that all the criminals involved are punished under the terms of the law,” he declared.