Statement from Nia Tero on the Disappearance of Bruno Pereira and Dom Phillips

Nia Tero is deeply troubled over the disappearance of Bruno Pereira and Dom Phillips on June 5 near the Javari Valley Indigenous Territory.

We have been supporting the Union of Indigenous Peoples of the Javari Valley (UNIVAJA) since 2018 in their efforts to protect their territory – the second largest Indigenous land in Brazil, spanning an area the size of Portugal and one the few places on Earth where there are Indigenous Peoples who continue to live in voluntary isolation from the outside world. Bruno Pereira has been a central figure in those efforts, serving as an advisor to UNIVAJA and training local Indigenous Peoples to monitor their territory, as the Javari Valley has been the target of constant invasions by illegal fishing, hunting, drug trafficking, and mining groups.

We share the deep esteem in which all his colleagues and Indigenous partners hold Bruno Pereira and hope for his and Dom Phillips’ safe return. We also recognize and admire the honest and principled journalism Dom Phillips has exemplified and his dedication to telling the stories of Indigenous communities in the Amazon. We share the pain of the two men’s families at the lack of resolution to their case and stand with the families in urging the deployment of all possible resources to locate their loved ones and to bring to justice any person who may have had a part in their disappearance.

For more information and press inquiries, please contact comms@niatero.org.