The United States urged on Friday that the responsibilities be established in the double murder of a British journalist and a recognized expert on indigenous peoples in the Brazilian Amazon, saluting at the same time the defenders of the rainforest.
US Foreign Ministry spokesman Ned Price offered condolences to the family of journalist Dom Phillips and that of his guide and expert Bruno Pereira, saying they had been “murdered for their support for the preservation of the rainforest. and indigenous people there”.
The expertise practiced on human remains found in the Amazon confirmed that they were indeed those of the British journalist Dom Phillips, who disappeared on June 5 in the company of the Brazilian expert Bruno Pereira, announced Friday the Brazilian police.
“We call for accountability and justice. We must collectively strengthen our efforts to protect environmental defenders and journalists,” he said on Twitter.
The double murder was confirmed days after US President Joe Biden held an initial meeting with his Brazilian counterpart Jair Bolsonaro.
The disappearance of the two men has revived criticism against the latter, accused of encouraging the invasions of Indian lands with his speeches in favor of the exploitation of the resources of the largest tropical forest in the world.
No Sponsor: Disputed Version
In an interview, the Brazilian head of state seemed to accuse the journalist and the expert of having undertaken an “irresponsible” trip to an area where the former was “frowned upon”.
The police responsible for elucidating the deaths of Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira said Friday that this double murder had “no sponsor” from a “criminal organization”, a version disputed by an association of indigenous peoples.
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