President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) made a series of offensive statements to indigenist Bruno Pereira and English journalist Dom Phillips. The two disappeared last Sunday (5), in the Vale do Javari region, in the Amazon.
In recent weeks, entities, journalists, politicians and activists have denounced the president’s statements. In several speeches, Bolsonaro tried to ponder the commotion surrounding the searches for Bruno Pereira and Dom Phillips.
In one of them, he got ahead of investigations by citing “evidence of evil” before any confirmation by the PF. Read, at the end of this report, reactions to the president’s behavior.
In an interview with SBT, last Tuesday (7th), Bolsonaro defined their trip as an “unrecommended adventure”. The speech was intensely repudiated by journalistic and indigenist organizations.
“Really, just two people on a boat, in a region that completely wild is an adventure that is not recommended to do. Anything can happen”, he said.
The Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), Pedro Vaca, spoke about the declaration on social media.
The Brazilian Association of Investigative Journalism (Abraji) and other organizations dedicated to defending the rights of freedom of expression and of the press also took a stand on the topic.
Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira are not to blame for the violence they suffered in their journalistic and human rights work. Accountability for state efforts on the subject must be respectful and avoid re-victimization.
– Pedro Vaca V. (@PVacaV) June 15, 2022
Abraji and 10 other organizations dedicated to the protection and defense of the fundamental rights of freedom of expression and of the press have just submitted a request for an urgent hearing with the Brazilian government to discuss the disappearance of English journalist Dom Phillips and…🔜
— Abraji (@abraji) June 7, 2022
:: Justice condemns Funai to guarantee security to servers and indigenous peoples in Vale do Javari ::
On Friday (11), in the United States, where he went to participate in the Summit of the Americas, Bolsonaro said that the Armed Forces and the Federal Police would be standing out in the search for Bruno Preira and Dom Phillips. At the same time, indigenous organizations, such as the União dos Povos Indígenas do Vale do Javari (Unijava), denounced the lack of personnel and proactive searches by the government.
“Since last Sunday, when we had the information that two citizens, a British, Dom Phillips, and a Brazilian Bruno Araújo [Pereira]disappeared in the Javari Valley region, our Armed Forces and the Federal Police have been outstanding in the relentless search to reach these people”, he said, in a statement in Los Angeles.
On Saturday (12), he said that Bruno Pereira and Dom Phillips would not have authorization from the National Indian Foundation (Funai) to carry out the expedition. The information, however, has already been denied by the agency’s employees. “When they left, the information we have is that it was not agreed with Funai. It happens, right? People abuse, right,” said the president.
:: Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira case: Senate approves investigations in the area of disappearances ::
Back in Brazil, on Monday morning (13), Bolsonaro got ahead of official information from the Federal Police by citing, in an interview, that he saw evidence that the journalist and the indigenist were subjected “to some evil”.
“The evidence leads us to believe that they did something wrong with them, because human viscera have already been found floating in the river that are already in Brasília to do DNA. this happened. It will be very difficult to find them alive. I pray to God that this happens”, he said.
Journalism is not and never has been an adventure. Good journalism keeps the forest standing. #CadeBrunoeDom #WhereAreDomAndBruno pic.twitter.com/zGOoIwuIdv
— Eliane Brum (@brumelianebrum) June 12, 2022
On the same date that two suspects would have admitted to the murder of Bruno Pereira and Dom Phillips, this Wednesday (15), the president made one of his harshest attacks, this time specifically targeting the English journalist.
:: Passionate about Brazil, Dom Phillips went to understand the forest to help in its preservation ::
“This Englishman was frowned upon in the region, because he did a lot of reporting against miners, an environmental issue, so, in that region there, which is quite isolated, a lot of people didn’t like him,” Bolsonaro said.
“He had to pay more attention to himself and decided to go on an excursion. We don’t know if anyone saw him and went after him, there’s a pirate in the river there, there’s everything you can imagine,” he added.
The Chief Executive also said that Bruno and Dom should carry guns in the region. “It’s very foolhardy to walk in that region without being properly physically prepared and also with weapons duly authorized by Funai, which apparently they weren’t.”
:: “People will be annihilated”: disappeared indigenist warned in 2019 of the advance of mining ::
Read some reactions to the president’s speech:
Bishop Phillips has always made reports that bother people defended by @jairbolsonaro. When the president says that the journalist was “unloved” in the Vale do Javari region, in Amazonas, for doing “a lot of stories against gold miners”, something very wrong is not right. And Bolsonaro knows.
– Xico Prado (@xicoprado) June 15, 2022
The PR said that Bruno and Dom were on an adventure and without authorization from FUNAI. Ask permission for Pres. from Funai who said that the miners are victims? The phrase “an adventure”, coming from those who love riding a motorcycle without a helmet, sounds like pure hypocrisy. #OndeEstaoDomEBruno
— Alexandre Saraiva (@DelegadoSaraiva) June 10, 2022
Bolsonaro offends indigenist Bruno Pereira and journalist Dom Phillips. They are not having an “adventure”. They are workers in the full exercise of their jobs: one defending indigenous peoples, the other reporting this defense and threats to indigenous peoples. They’re not riding a jet ski. https://t.co/y47wrFcJRM
– Rubens Valente (@rubensvalente) June 7, 2022
What Bolsonaro said about Bruno and Dom, who were on an adventure in the Amazon, is unacceptable. No, they were NOT. They were fulfilling the role of the Brazilian State, which was to bring protection strategies to indigenous territories and investigate the situation in the Amazon. pic.twitter.com/0Rfvm3aqvW
– Joenia Wapichana (@JoeniaWapichana) June 13, 2022
To call a journalist of the quality of Dom Phillips and one of the most committed indigenists in the country, Bruno Pereira, “adventurers” is disrespectful. Not to say infamy. https://t.co/VaiVNAG0ZF
— André Trigueiro (@andretrig) June 10, 2022
Bruno and Dom didn’t disappear in search of “adventures” in the Amazon. Both were more concerned with the future of the region than the President of the Republic himself.
Where are Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira? pic.twitter.com/IUvxmIvbBc
— PCdoB 🇺🇸 (@PCdoB_Oficial) June 14, 2022
Motorbike, speedboat, Jet Ski ride: this is adventure! During working hours, it’s vagrancy! Being in the middle of the forest, fighting in defense of indigenous peoples and against the banditry installed in the Amazon is a duty that your government does not fulfill, Bolsonaro! Respect who WORKS! pic.twitter.com/wwOxsf0o8i
— Randolfe Rodrigues (@randolfeap) June 8, 2022
Reporting is not an adventure. It is a public service that is only dangerous in places where the government is failing to fight crime, or worse, encourages crime.
— Sonia Bridi (@SoniaBridi) June 7, 2022
“It is an adventure that is not recommended to be done. Anything could happen.” In an interview, Bolsonaro blames Bruno Araújo and Dom Phillips for his own disappearance in Amazonas. Meanwhile, his government has yet to prioritize the searches. https://t.co/2mtfjkoC5d
— Leonardo Sakamoto (@blogdosakamoto) June 7, 2022
With no political conditions to ignore the disappearance and probable murder of Dom and Bruno, Bolsonaro oscillates between omission and ridicule.
He has already criticized their work, which he sordidly called “adventure”, and now “evil” a BARBARIAN CRIME!
What to expect from the militia chief president?
– Orlando Silva (@orlandosilva) June 14, 2022
There is no denying that Bolsonaro is an extremely disgusting guy. After calling Dom and Bruno’s work an “adventure”, he now blames Dom for his own murder. Bolsonaro, you are a defender of bandits of the worst kind! @PTnaCamara
— Leo de Brito 🚩🇧🇷 (@leodebritoac) June 15, 2022
Entities request a hearing with the federal government on the disappearance of reporter and indigenist in AM https://t.co/DQHm2OmAqy via @FENAJ
– FENAJ (@FENAJoficial) June 8, 2022
Editing: Nicolau Soares
