Published
Mon, Jun 13, 2022, 16:00
- While the bodies have yet to be officially identified, the news comes a few days after personal items of Phillips and Pereira were found.
Two bodies thought to be Dom Phillips—a former Mixmag editor and contributor to The Guardian—and Bruno Pereira—a dedicated defender of Indigenous rights—have been found in the Amazon, The Guardian has reported.
On Monday, June 6th, Phillips and Pereira went missing when they did not return home from a boat trip the day before. Phillips and Pereira were researching for a new book about remote parts of the Amazon. Since then, groups of Indigenous volunteers have led a search for the pair.
This past Saturday, volunteers, military police force and a Guardian reporter uncovered a backpack and clothing in an area of flooded forest in Javari, near the Amazonian river. Federal police and forensic officers were deployed to the scene and confirmed the items belonged to the Phillips and Pereira.
Today, June 13th, The Guardian reported that two bodies were found tied to a tree, citing comments from Phillips' family who were informed of the development by the Brazil embassy in London. The bodies have yet to be officially identified.
Over the weekend, the Brazilian mother-in-law of Phillips said that she believed "they are no longer with us." Speaking to The Guardian, she said "their souls have joined those of so many others who gave their lives in defence of the rainforest and Indigenous peoples."
This story will be updated as more information is available.
Photo: Guardian composite/Gary Carlton