A year after the deaths of Bruno and Dom: unanswered questions about the brutal crime
Indigenous activist Bruno Pereira and British journalist Dom Phillips were brutally murdered in the tri-border region between Brazil, Colombia and Peru. Although a year has passed since these tragic deaths, there are still unanswered questions about the case.
This Monday marks one year since the death of Bruno Pereira and Dom Phillips - Foro Reproduction / Internet
This Monday (05) completes one year of the terrible crime of the deaths of indigenist Bruno Pereira and British journalist Dom Phillips in the Javari Valley. The double murder left unanswered questions and raised pressing questions about the safety and preservation of indigenous peoples in the Amazon region. The date of death of Bruno and Dom coincides with the Environmental Day. In the current scenario, Brazil occupies the fourth position among the countries that record the most deaths of human rights defenders, especially those who live in favor of the environment.
Bruno and Dom
Bruno worked at a non-governmental organization (NGO), where his job consisted of seeking dialogs and alternatives to guarantee the sustainability of fishing activities in the second largest indigenous land (TI) in Brazil, known as Javari Valley. These activities were highly predatory and had effects on the environment and indigenous communities. At the same time, Bruno, who was a journalist and contributor to the British vehicle The Guardian, was writing a book that addressed environmental threats, which made him an uncomfortable figure for many illegal fishermen in the region.
Murder
The indigenist and the journalist were ambushed and died on June 5, 2022, near the community of São Rafael, located in the triple border region between Brazil, Colombia and Peru. That was the last place they were seen alive. Given the lack of news about the duo, the Union of Indigenous Peoples of the Javari Valley (Univaja) mobilized its closest teams to carry out searches. During the afternoon, a vessel departed from Atalaia do Norte, followed a few hours later by a second group in a larger vessel leaving Tabatinga.
The following day (6th), the first information appeared that a foreign journalist had disappeared in the Amazon rainforest. Public bodies began to address the matter publicly. On this occasion, the Marine communicated to the press that she had been notified of the disappearance that morning and that a search and rescue team from River Captaincy of Tabatinga had already been sent to the site. A Federal police (PF) also confirmed that due diligence was being carried out, later stating that further details would be provided.
As time progressed, the disappearance of the correspondent of The Guardian and the indigenous activist in the vastness of the Amazon Rainforest received increasing attention in press vehicles around the world. At the same time, the perception that something extremely serious could have happened was intensified. According to investigations, they were cruelly executed. Both were shot in the back by illegal fishermen, who later burned, dismembered and buried their bodies in a shallow grave on the banks of a river. These actions were carried out under the orders of financiers associated with organized crime.
Searches being carried out and the bodies when located - Photo Reproduction / Internet
Prisons
On June 6, 2022, a procedure was initiated by the Federal Public Ministry (MPF) in order to investigate the case in question. With the aim of assisting Univaja's search teams, the federal and state security forces, as well as the Navy. In addition Amazon Civil Police also initiated an inquiry. After obtaining witness statements, an initial suspect was identified, Amarildo da Costa Oliveira, known as Pelado, who was arrested the next day, on June 7.
At first, Pelado denied any involvement in Bruno and Dom's disappearance. However, in addition to the testimonies of witnesses who claimed to have witnessed threats made by him to the journalist and the indigenist, Federal Police experts discovered traces of blood on the boat he used on the day the pair disappeared. On June 12, firefighters found objects belonging to Bruno and Dom, which reinforced the suspicion that, by that time, the two were already dead.
After being confronted with evidence, Pelado confessed his participation in the murders and in the concealment of the bodies of the indigenist and the journalist, revealing the place where the bodies were buried. This information resulted in the arrest of Oseney da Costa de Oliveira, brother of Pelado, known as Dos Santos, on June 14, and in the arrest of an arrest warrant for Jefferson da Silva Lima, also known as Pelado da Dinha, which was handed over to the Civil Police in Atalaia do Norte four days later.
On July 8, a new suspect was arrested. Ruben Dario da Silva Villar, a Colombian named as the clear mastermind of the murders and suspected of involvement in drug trafficking, was initially arrested for presenting a false identity during his testimony about the case.
When questioned, Vilar denied his participation in the deaths of Bruno and Dom. Despite this, the Federal Police requested that he remain detained during the investigation. On the 22nd of October, after paying a R$15,000 bail, using an electronic anklet, handing over his passports and promising not to leave Manaus, he was authorized to leave prison. However, he ended up being arrested again in December for failing to comply with the conditions imposed by Justice.
What remains to be answered?
Why did the Federal Public Ministry (MPF) denounce only three people, despite mentioning other names in the complaint, who were supposedly involved in the concealment of the burned and dismembered bodies of Bruno and Dom?
What are the lines of investigation in relation to the perpetrators of the crime (so far, only one has been arrested), the true motivations and the context of the preparation of the ambush?
What measures has the Brazilian State adopted to ensure compliance with the precautionary measure of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (CIDH), which requested protection for the indigenous peoples of the Union of Indigenous Peoples of the Javari Valley (Univaja)?
What is the connection between the murders of Bruno and Dom and the murder of Maxciel dos Santos, a Funai employee and Bruno's former colleague?
What is the origin of the murder weapon before reaching the suspected supplier?
What are the next steps in the case after the recent indictment of the former president of Funai and other servants for omission in the homicide and concealment of Bruno and Dom's corpse?
Is there any connection between the investigation into the murders of Bruno and Dom and the investigation into criminal and armed activity by riverside dwellers related to pirarucu fishing in the communities of São Rafael and São Gabriel, located on the banks of the Itacoaí River?
Conclusion
One year after the deaths of Bruno and Dom in Vale do Javari, the case remains without conclusive answers. This cruel crime highlights the vulnerability of indigenous peoples and those dedicated to protecting and guaranteeing their rights in regions of the Brazilian Amazon, also raising urgent questions about safety and environmental preservation.
