Amazon Watch expresses its solidarity with the families of Brazilian Indigenous rights defender Bruno Pereira and British journalist Dom Phillips. It is with dismay that we join our voices in denouncing that both were victims of extreme violence at the hands of criminals who today operate freely and with impunity in the Amazon, with the collaboration of an inhumane and cruel government whose strategy is to surrender the forest and its peoples and allies to organized crime.
Brazil is the fourth most lethal country in the world for environmental activists. We’ve witnessed the killings of Paulo Paulino Guajajara, Chico Mendes, Dorothy Stang, and so many other defenders who have confronted criminals who attack Indigenous peoples and destroy the Amazon forest. The most recent occurrence of this trend took place in the Vale do Javari.
The Marubo, Kanamari, Matsés, Matís, and Kulina have been denouncing invasions of their territory, the Vale do Javari Indigenous Land, for several years. There were many requests for help sent by organizations in the region, all of which were shelved by the Bolsonaro government. Bruno Pereira, who was an employee of Funai (Brazil’s National Indigenous Foundation) and was removed from his position under the current administration, was an important ally of these peoples in the defense of their territories. And so was Dom Phillips. A journalist with great experience in the Amazon and a genuine interest in learning from Indigenous peoples, he was an important ally in telling the world their stories and struggles.
Bolsonaro has stated on several occasions that the Amazon belongs to Brazilians and has attacked environmentalists and non-governmental organizations that work to protect and defend the region. However, what we see under his administration is a forest taken over by illicit activities, such as drug trafficking, illegal fishing, logging, mining, and violence.
We must recognize the indispensable role of the Union of Indigenous Peoples of Vale do Javari (UNIVAJA) in the search for Pereira and Phillips. Along with Indigenous groups in the region, they worked tirelessly to find evidence of the attack and led the authorities to the scene of the crime. UNIVAJA issued a statement (original in Portuguese) declaring they understand their “murder as a political crime. They were both human rights defenders and died doing work to protect Indigenous People in the Vale do Javari. In face of that, we express our concern about the continuity of the investigations. We know that Pelado and Dos Santos [the murderers] are part of a larger group. We are concerned for our lives and those who have been threatened, because Bruno Pereira was not the only one. What will happen to us when the armed forces and the press leave Atalaia do Norte? Will we continue to live under threat? We need to deepen and broaden the investigation. We need effective territorial surveillance within the Vale do Javari Indigenous Land. We need the units of Ethno-Environmental Protection (BAPEs) of FUNAI to be strengthened.”
It is unacceptable that defenders of the Amazon and human rights are murdered and their executioners go unpunished. We have to fight for justice so that the people behind this barbaric crime are held accountable and the reasons for it be exposed. We cannot forget about the 2019 killing of Indigenous protection official, Maxciel Pereira dos Santos. He was also a defender of the Vale do Javari, and his assassination has not been investigated to this day. The Brazilian authorities have a duty to shed light on these crimes and dismantle the gangs that operate freely in Vale do Javari.
Let’s remember Bruno and Dom alive, in the middle of the Amazon with Indigenous peoples, walking through the forest and singing the Kanamari song. Let us remember the courage of these men and their love for the Amazon and its peoples, their shared mission to defend the forest and life, tirelessly denouncing the criminals who plunder natural resources and violate the rights and lives of Indigenous peoples. We all owe it to Bruno and Dom to continue as defenders of the Amazon, its peoples, and its future.
Watch a video by The Guardian of Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira on Amazon expedition in 2018:
