Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said on Wednesday June 15 that British journalist Dom Phillips, who disappeared ten days ago in the Amazon, was "
frowned upon
" in this region because of his reports on illegal gold panning.
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"
This Englishman was frowned upon in the region, because he did a lot of reporting against gold miners, on the environment
," said the head of state during an interview on the Youtube channel of presenter Leda Nagle. .
“
In this very isolated area, a lot of people didn't like him.
He should have redoubled his precautions (...) Over there, there are pirates on the river, it is unwise to survey the place without being armed
, ”he added.
Bloodstains and personal effects
Dom Phillips, 57, and his expedition companion, Brazilian expert Bruno Pereira, 41, were last seen on June 5 as they traveled by boat to Atalaia do Norte, a nearby Amazon town from the border with Peru and Colombia.
The region in which they disappeared, the Javari Valley, is reputed to be dangerous, with numerous incursions by drug traffickers, fishermen, loggers and clandestine gold diggers.
In ten days of research, the authorities found traces of blood on the boat of one of the two arrested suspects, as well as "
apparently human organic material
" being analyzed.
Personal effects of the two men were also found underwater, in a flooded area near the home of one of the suspects.
"
Everything suggests - if they were killed, and I hope they weren't - that their bodies are in the water.
If so, there won't be much left, the fish can eat them, I don't know if there are piranhas in the area
, ”added the far-right president.
Read alsoMissing in the Amazon: human remains found during research
A long-time contributor to The Guardian newspaper, Dom Phillips traveled to the Amazon as part of research for a book he was preparing on the challenges of environmental conservation.
Bruno Pereira, a recognized defender of indigenous peoples, served as his guide.
Their disappearance has aroused great emotion in the world.
On Wednesday, Boris Johnson declared before Parliament in London to be "
deeply concerned
" by this disappearance.