Almost a month after the murder of indigenist Bruno Pereira and British journalist Dom Phillips, the case still causes commotion in Atalaia do Norte (AM), a municipality of just over 20,000 inhabitants in the extreme west of the Amazon.
Folha visited the town in Vale do Javari again last week with a delegation of politicians.
Security forces (Army, Military Police and Federal Police) have been a constant presence in Atalaia since the beginning of the search for Bruno and Dom, who disappeared on June 5.
The feeling of security, however, is restricted to the urban center, say residents. Going up the Itaquaí River, where Bruno and Dom died, or the Javari, the tension remains unchanged since the murders.
Indigenous people report fear on the paths they need to take along the rivers. Those who travel along the waterways in the region seek to make as few stops as possible along the way.
The tension also affects fishermen. Even those who work in authorized areas report fear of being approached by security agents on their way – it is common for people in the region to take weapons with them in an irregular situation.
Translated by Kiratiana Freelon