Guardian journalist Dom Philips, 57, and indigenous expert Bruno Araujo Pereira went missing on Sunday in the Sao Rafael community during a reporting trip in the remote Javari Valley
Image: via REUTERS)
Blood has been found on the boat of a suspect arrested in relation to the disappearance of a British journalist in the Amazon rainforest.
Guardian journalist Dom Philips, 57, and indigenous expert Bruno Araujo Pereira were last seen on Sunday morning in the Sao Rafael community.
The pair were reporting on a trip in the lawless remote Javari Valley, close to the Peruvian and Colombian border, home to the world’s biggest uncontacted indigenous population.
Police found blood stains on a vessel owned by fisherman Amarildo da Costa – also known as ‘Pelado’ – who was arrested earlier this week.
He has been charged with illegal possession and restricted ammunition.
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Image:
BRAZILIAN FEDERAL POLICE/AFP via)
In a statement released yesterday, federal police said a forensic officer and state police looking for “possible genetic material” made the discovery, which has been sent off to Manaus, Brazil, for analysis.
A detective said it has not yet been determined if the blood on the boat is from a human.
Da Costa’s lawyer Davi Oliveira denied his client had any involvement in the double disappearance.
Six other men have been questioned by police.
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FAMILY HANDOUT/AFP via Getty Ima)
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Image:
via REUTERS)
Well-wishers gathered for a vigil in London on Thursday.
Ex-footballer Pelé retweeted a video made by Mr Phillips’s wife calling for search efforts to be increased.
The 81-year-old sporting legend wrote: “The fight for the preservation of the Amazon forest and of the Indigenous groups belongs to all of us.
“I am moved by the disappearance of Dom Phillips and Bruno Ferreira, who dedicate their lives to this cause. I join the many voices that make the appeal to intensify the search.”
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Image:
AFP via Getty Images)
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has been criticised for describing Mr Philips’ and Pereira’s work in the Amazon as an “adventure”.
“Really, just two people in a boat in a completely wild region like that is not a recommended adventure,” he said in a TV interview.
“Anything could happen. It could be an accident, it could be that they have been killed.”
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