The Bruno and Dom Project: consortium investigates the Amazon – 05/30/2023 – Environment

After ten months of journalistic investigation into different aspects of the predatory exploitation of the Amazon, an international consortium formed by 16 press vehicles —the Sheet among them— presents as of this Thursday (1st) the reports elaborated in “The Bruno and Dom Project – An Investigation on the Looting of the Amazon”.

The consortium was formed after the murders of Brazilian indigenist Bruno Pereira and British journalist Dom Phillips.

The two were killed in the region of the Vale do Javari Indigenous Land, on the triple border of Brazil with Peru and Colombia, by illegal fishermen. Next Monday, June 5th, the double homicide will complete one year.

The consortium comprises 16 vehicles and journalistic organizations from ten countries. The initiative is spearheaded by Forbidden Stories, an organization dedicated to continuing the work of journalists murdered in the line of duty.

The idea of ​​the project is a joint effort, which involved more than 50 journalists, to continue the work of Dom, who died while researching a book in the Vale do Javari region, in the company of Bruno.

Watch the initiative trailer below.

The two were murdered by illegal fishermen, on the Itaquaí River, when returning to the city of Atalaia do Norte (AM). The bodies were missing for ten days, and were only found by the police after extensive search and location work by indigenous people in the region.

The MPF (Federal Public Ministry) denounced three fishermen as direct perpetrators of the homicides: Amarildo Oliveira, Pelado; his brother Oseney de Oliveira, Dos Santos; and Jefferson da Silva Lima, Pelado da Dinha.

Federal Justice in Amazonas conducts the last hearings to decide whether they will be taken to a popular jury.

The PF (Federal Police) said that the investigations concluded that there was a mastermind for the crime: Ruben Dario da Silva Villar, known as Colombia, who exploited illegal fishing in the Javari Valley region.

The PF also attributed possible intent in the homicides, due to omission and knowledge of what could happen, to the president of Funai (National Foundation of Indigenous Peoples) in the Jair Bolsonaro (PL) government, Marcelo Xavier. Both Xavier and a former member of the organization’s leadership, Alcir Amaral, were indicted by the PF.

One year after the deaths of Bruno and Dom, the consortium of press vehicles publishes the results of investigations into illegal fishing, land grabbing, the meat industry and illegal mining in the Amazon. These were subjects pursued by Dom.

“The Bruno and Dom Project – An Investigation into the Looting of the Amazon” is formed by SheetTV Globo, Globoplay, Repórter Brasil, Amazônia Real, Abraji (Brazilian Association of Investigative Journalism), Ojo Público, Expresso, Le Monde, The Guardian, NRC, Paper Trail Media, The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, OCCRP, Tamedia and DerStandard.

The consortium’s reports will be published from this Thursday (1st) until Saturday (3rd).