Dom Phillips warned of Bolsonaro’s fascism — then was killed — SkimNews
Get the Geopolitics newsletter
Daily geopolitics — wars, elections, sanctions, the diplomatic moves that move markets. Free.
- Dom Phillips warned in 2018 that Jair Bolsonaro and his supporters showed clear signs of fascism, predicting increased violence, environmental destruction, and danger for journalists.
- Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira were murdered in May 2022 near the Javari Valley indigenous territory while researching a book on saving the Amazon, a killing tied to illegal fishing and weakened environmental enforcement under Bolsonaro.
- Jair Bolsonaro’s administration oversaw a 59.5% increase in Amazon deforestation compared to the prior four years, with 45,000 sq km lost from 2019 to 2022—equivalent to over a million trees per day.
- Flávio Bolsonaro, Jair’s son and current presidential frontrunner, is polling narrowly ahead of Lula in the upcoming runoff and has pledged to free his father and appoint him to government if elected.
- Jair Bolsonaro was convicted of attempting a military coup to overturn the 2022 election, a move Dom Phillips had predicted, writing in 2021 that he hoped to see Bolsonaro arrested by federal police.
- Dom Phillips was publicly attacked by Jair Bolsonaro at a press conference after asking about Amazon deforestation, with the president retorting, 'the Amazon is Brazil’s, not yours, OK?'—a moment amplified online to discredit foreign critics.
Why it matters: With Flávio Bolsonaro leading in polls, a return to Bolsonaro-aligned leadership threatens to reverse Lula’s gains in curbing deforestation and protecting indigenous territories, endangering both environmental defenders and democratic institutions, just as Dom Phillips warned before his killing.
Ask SkimNews
