Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira: Who are the men missing in the Amazon?

Furvah Shah
·2 min read
A London protest calling for awareness to the disapperance of the missing men (Victoria Jones/PA) (PA Wire)
A London protest calling for awareness to the disapperance of the missing men (Victoria Jones/PA) (PA Wire)

Dom Phillips, a British journalist, and Bruno Pereira, a Brazilian indigenous affairs expert, have been missing since June 5 while travelling in a remote part of the Amazon rainforest in western Brazil.

Phillips, 57, has written for The Guardian, The Financial Times and others and was travelling in Brazil for work purposes with Pereira, a former government adviser, when they went missing.

The pair were last seen in the Javari region of the Amazon, near the border with Peru and Phillips’ family have suspected that they are both dead.

A Brazilian journalist said the bodies of both men have been found in the rainforest but Brazilian authorities have not yet confirmed these reports.

On Monday, items belonging to both missing men – including their clothing and Phillips’s health identification card – were found, according to the local police.

The two men’s disappearance is thought to be linked to illegal fishing, as Pereira was reportedly threatened by people engaged in the contraband activity before going missing.

Who is Dom Phillips?

Phillips is a long-time journalist who has covered environmental affairs in Brazil for over a decade (AFP via Getty Images)
Phillips is a long-time journalist who has covered environmental affairs in Brazil for over a decade (AFP via Getty Images)

Phillips, 57, is a freelance journalist who has lived in Brazil for more than 10 years in the north-eastern city of Salvador and has reported on affairs in the country for the last 15 years.

Phillips was in the Amazon to conduct research for a book about the environment, supported by the Alicia Patterson Foundation. He has previously written about deforestation and other environmental issues in Brazil.

His wife, Alessandra Sampaio, and mother-in-law have said they believe the pair to be dead a Brazilian journalist, Andre Trigueiro, said Phillips’ wife confirmed the bodies of both men have been found.

Who is Bruno Pereira?

Pereira has been described as a “hero” by former colleagues (FAMILY HANDOUT/AFP via Getty Ima)
Pereira has been described as a “hero” by former colleagues (FAMILY HANDOUT/AFP via Getty Ima)

Pereira, 41, is a father-of-three and an expert of indigenous affairs in Brazil.

He previously worked for Funai, the Brazilian governments indigenous rights agency, and has been described as a “hero” by his former colleagues.

Pereira was fired from his position at Funai in what was seen to be a politically motivated move, soon after president Jair Bolsonaro came to power in the country.

Employees of the National Indigenous Foundation protest over the missing men in Brazil (AFP via Getty Images)
Employees of the National Indigenous Foundation protest over the missing men in Brazil (AFP via Getty Images)

He had reportedly received threats for his work in monitoring illegal activities in the region and their pairs disappearance has been linked to the illegal fishing trade.