(Vale do Javari, 05. Juni 2023, Pulsar Agency).- June 5, 2023 marked the anniversary of the disappearance and death of Brazilian indigenous activist Bruno Pereira and British journalist Dom Phillips in the Amazon, more specifically in the Javari Valley, one of the largest indigenous territories in Brazil. The two were victims of an attack on the Itacoaí River, near the border triangle between Colombia, Peru and Brazil. Ten days later, their bodies were dismembered, burned and found hidden in the woods. To date, the suspects allegedly involved in the crime have not been convicted.
Twelve suspects but no verdict so far
According to federal prosecutors, twelve people were charged with two counts of murder, concealing a body and involvement in a criminal organization for illegal fishing. Among them are the self-confessed killers Amarildo da Costa Oliveira (known as “Pelado”), Oseney da Costa de Oliveira (“Dos Santos”) and Jefferson da Silva Lima (“Pelado da Dinha”). The three are being held in custody while they await the conclusion of the hearing phase of the trial – a phase during which witnesses and defendants are heard by the judiciary. Only then will the federal judge decide whether to try the three before a grand jury.
The main suspect, Rubens Villar Coelho, who allegedly ordered the killings, is also in custody. “Colombia,” as he’s known locally, has been in prison since July 2022 for forging documents. He and “Pelado” are under investigation for criminal organization for practicing illegal fishing in the indigenous land of Vale do Javari.
According to the Union of Indigenous Peoples of Vale do Javari (Sleeping shed) the alleged leader named by the federal police is “just a piece on the criminal chessboard. A kind of manager who acts on the instructions of another”. In a note released in January, the organization warned that “a task force is needed to clarify the true interests of the criminal groups in the region, in addition to the investigative teams already in place”.
According to the federal prosecutor’s office, five prosecutors are working on the case: the chief prosecutor in Tabatinga and four members of the “Jury Court Support Group” (roughly: Support Group to Court of Jury).
Responsibility of the Brazilian State and the FUNAI
The external commission of the Chamber of Deputies set up to investigate the murder of Bruno Pereira and Dom Phillips unanimously approved the final report of MP Vivi Reis (PSOL/PA – Pará State Socialist and Freedom Party) in December 2022. The document not only blames the Brazilian state for the double murder of Bruno and Dom, but also the leadership of the National Foundation of the Indigenous (National Indian Foundation – FUNAI). She is accused of making the workers’ work more difficult and disregarding the efforts of the people who want to protect the indigenous territory of the Javari Valley.
In May this year, federal police called for the indictment of former FUNAI President Marcelo Xavier on charges of murder and concealing a body. According to federal police, Xavier risked the murders by failing to take action to combat repeated criminal activity in the Javari Valley. The foundation was made aware of the risk scenario in the area and received requests to better protect the team following the killing of domestic worker Maxciel dos Santos in 2019. Xavier headed FUNAI between 2019 and December 2022, during Bolsonaro’s reign.
Alcir Amaral Teixeira, then general coordinator of Territorial Surveillance, a body responsible for security in indigenous lands, was also charged. He was Xavier’s later successor in the management of FUNAI.
Plan against the effects of drug trafficking on indigenous communities
The work of Bruno Pereira and Dom Philips in defense of indigenous peoples was recognized at a ceremony hosted by the Ministry of Justice and Public Security (MJSP) on the anniversary. The two were honored at the presentation of the ‘National Strategy to Mitigate and Remediate the Impact of Drug Trafficking on Indigenous Territories and Populations’ in Brasilia.
The plan includes measures to reduce the impact of drug trafficking in indigenous areas. Negative consequences are, for example, drug abuse, violence against indigenous people and cooptation of indigenous communities for drug trafficking.
Bruno Pereira’s widow, Beatriz Matos, was present at the event. She is director of a department at the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples. According to her, the drug trade in the Amazon could be linked to the deaths of Bruno and Dom. “I can assure you that this initiative from the Department of Justice is extremely important and should be welcomed. We are confronted with this problem in several indigenous areas,” says Beatriz.
On this occasion, the Ministry of Justice and Public Security (MJSP) also announced that it would allocate 3 million reals to measures to combat the social disadvantage of indigenous communities across the country and other traditional communities in the Amazon region.
So far no conviction in the case of the murders of Bruno and Dom von News Pool Latin America is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 international.