Louise Bernard
Human remains were found during the search for the British journalist and the Brazilian expert, who disappeared a week ago in the Amazon. Two fishermen confessed to having shot them. The two men were working on a book about threats to the environment and indigenous peoples.
Journalists Dom Philips and Bruno Pereira were murdered. Two fishermen confessed to having shot them and then sank the boat with bags weighted with sand to remove the bodies. “Human viscera were found floating in the river during the search for British journalist Dom Phillips and Brazilian expert Bruno Pereira, who disappeared a week ago in the Amazon,” Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said on Monday.
An area where there are drug traffickers
The two men had disappeared about ten days ago in the Amazon. They were working on a book about threats to the environment and indigenous peoples. The reasons for their assassination are not yet very precise. But the two men were in an area where indigenous peoples must suffer the presence of illegal drug traffickers, fishermen and hunters.
Increase in crimes against environmental defenders
It is a very political subject in Brazil, since President Jair Bolsonaro is not known to be a fervent defender of the environment. It is even an understatement. He is in favor of the mining and agricultural exploitation of indigenous reserves in the Amazon. A policy that leaves the Amazon to be destroyed. Crimes against environmental defenders have increased since Bolsonaro came to power. But they still go unpunished.