Former president of Funai indicted for omission in the murder of Bruno Pereira and Dom Phillips
Marcelo Xavier, former president of the National Foundation for Indigenous Peoples (Funai), was indicted by thePolice (PF) by omission in the cases of the murders of Brazilian indigenist Bruno Pereira and British journalist Dom Phillips.
On the left, Brazilian indigenist Bruno Pereira and on the right, British journalist Dom Phillips - Photo Reproduction / Internet
The former president of the National Indian Foundation (Funai), Marcelo Xavier, was indicted by Federal police (PF) by omission in the case of the murder of journalists Bruno Pereira and Dom Phillips in June 2022. Xavier was indicted due to his failure to take adequate measures to face the insecurity caused by conflicts in the Amazon region, resulting in the tragic homicides of the Brazilian indigenist and the British journalist.
the indictment
O ex-manager of the indigenous body was indicted based on the minutes of a meeting that took place immediately after the death of Maxciel dos Santos, an advocate for indigenous rights. During the meeting, Funai officials expressed the need for protection and described the dangers involved. According to the statement released by the PF, Xavier had been notified several times about the dangers in the region, however, no action was taken by him.
"The Federal Police indicted, this week, the former president and former vice-president of the National Foundation for Indigenous Peoples (Funai), for possible malice in the double homicide of the indigenist Bruno Araújo Pereira, of Funai, and the English journalist Dom Phillips, contributor to The Guardian newspaper.According to the investigations, the former leaders learned, in a Funai meeting, held on 10/09/2019, and through other documents, about the risk to the lives of civil servants of the body and did not take the necessary measures to protect the employees. In this way, they would have assumed the risk of the result of their omissions, which culminated in the double homicide", informs the PF note.
In addition to the former president of Funai, Alcir Amaral Teixeira, who acted as general coordinator of Territorial Monitoring in charge of the security of indigenous lands, was also indicted. Teixeira was Xavier's designated replacement at the head of the agency.
Indictment occurs when the police, after conducting investigations, identify an individual as a suspect in a crime. At this point, it is up to the Federal Public Ministry to assess whether there is enough evidence to file a formal complaint with the judicial system, which turns the suspect into an accused. If this complaint is accepted by the judicial system, the person becomes a defendant and will have to face the charges in a judicial process.
What does the PF say?
According to a PF report, Teixeira visited the region after Maxciel's death and learned of several reports of attacks on funa basesi and death threats against the institution's employees. According to the PF's interpretation, they acted with eventual intent, that is, they were fully aware of the dangers involved, but chose not to act and, consequently, assumed the risks.
Death of Bruno Pereira and Dom Phillips
O Brazilian indigenist Bruno Pereira and British journalist Dom Phillips were brutally murdered on June 5, 2022, during a journey through the Javari Valley, the second largest indigenous land in Brazil, in the extreme west of the Amazon. The PF found the bodies in a region of dense forest and extremely difficult access, located 3 km from the area where the backpack and other belongings of the two individuals were found.
Victims lost their lives to gunfire, and their bodies were dismembered, set on fire and buried. As verified by Federal Police experts, Bruno received three shots, two in the chest and one in the head. On the other hand, Dom was hit once in the chest. Amarildo da Costa Oliveira, known as "Pelado", Oseney da Costa de Oliveira, also known as "Dos Santos", and Jefferson da Silva Lima, known as "Pelado da Dinha", were arrested on suspicion of having committed the murders.
In addition to the three accused, the PF identified Ruben Dario da Silva Villar, known as "Colombia", as the alleged mastermind of the murders, at the end of January. Colombia has been in custody since December last year. He was even released after paying a bail of R$ 15,000 in October, however, the Federal Court decreed his arrest again after he did not comply with the conditions imposed when his provisional release was granted. In addition to the homicides, Colombia is also being investigated for involvement in illegal fishing and drug trafficking.
