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A30    world news
                       Dialuna 20 Juni 2022

                         After writer’s murder in the Amazon, can his vision survive?


                                                                      He  was  curious  and  thor-  That  didn’t  stop  him  from  completed with outside help.
                                                                      ough, whether parsing stud-  attending  rallies  to  seek  the  Phillips’  optimistic  message
                                                                      ies  of  projected  rainfall  views  of  die-hard  Bolson-  —  that  the  Amazon  can  be
                                                                      decline  in  the  agricultural  aro backers. He was alarmed  preserved, with the right ac-
                                                                      heartland  caused  by  Ama-  by  Bolsonaro’s  laissez-faire  tions — could still reach the
                                                                      zon  deforestation  or  track-  environmental  policy,  but  world.
                                                                      ing down the driving test ad-  mindful  that  prior  leftist
                                                                      ministrator  who  discovered  governments also had spotty  “We would very much like to
                                                                      a  man  disguised  as  his  own  records,  often  catering  to  find a way to honor the im-
                                                                      mother to take her exam. He  agribusiness  and  building  a  portant  and  essential  work
                                                                      recalled an editor telling him:  massive  hydroelectric  dam  Dom  was  doing,”  Margaret
                                                                      “You  spend  too  much  time  that wrought calamitous local  Stead,  his  publisher  at  Ma-
                                                                      researching news stories.”   damage  while  vastly  under-  nilla Press, wrote in an email.
                                                                                                   delivering. His allegiance was
                                                                      Among local correspondents,  to the environment and those  The  book’s  title  was  “How
                                                                      he earned respect for his hu-  depending on it for survival.  to Save the Amazon.” Bolso-
                                                                      mility  as  well,  often  sharing                         naro  has  bristled  at  the  idea
            (AP)  —  British  journal-   with appeals for help to sup-  others’ reportage rather than  Phillips also had been preoc-  it needs rescue, saying some
            ist  Dom  Phillips’  quest  port his wife. Phillips would  tooting his own horn.       cupied with risks to his pro-  80%  of  Brazil’s  portion  re-
            to  unlock  the  secrets  of  be gobsmacked to learn that                              fessional  future,  betting  on  mains  intact  and  offering  to
            how  to  preserve  Brazil’s  his fate has troubled current  Phillips  claimed  the  spot-  a  book  with  wallet-wilting  fly  foreign  dignitaries  over
            Amazon was cut short this  and former U.K. prime min-     light, inadvertently, during a  travel  costs  and  praying  it  its vast abundance. But Phil-
            month when he was killed  isters.                         televised press conference in  would  resonate.  He  had  set  lips knew the view is differ-
            along with a colleague in                                 July 2019. Noting rising de-  aside newspaper work to fo-  ent from the forest floor; big
            the heart of the forest he  He wrote about Brazil for 15  forestation  and  that  the  en-  cus on it.              hardwood  trees  have  been
            so cherished. Some of his  years,  in  early  days  covering  vironment minister had met                            logged  to  scarcity  in  many
            discoveries may yet see the  the oil industry for Platts, lat-  with  loggers,  Phillips  asked  “I’m a freelancer with noth-  seemingly   pristine   areas.
            light of day.                er freelancing for the Wash-  President Jair Bolsonaro how  ing but a book in my life and  His  companions  traveling
                                         ington  Post  and  New  York  he  intended  to  demonstrate  not  even  enough  to  live  on  through the Javari Valley cel-
            Phillips  in  2021  secured  a  Times  then  regularly  con-  Brazil’s commitment to pro-  next year while I write it,” he  ebrated  when  coming  upon
            yearlong fellowship with the  tributing  to  The  Guardian.  tect the Amazon region.   told  the  AP  in  a  private  ex-  one.
            Alicia  Patterson  Foundation  He  was  versatile,  but  gravi-                        change  in  September.  “Not
            to write a book, building on  tated  toward  features  about  “First, you have to understand  so  much  all  the  eggs  in  the  “The  Amazon  is  much  less
            prior  research.  By  June,  he  the environment as it became  that  the  Amazon  is  Brazil’s,  same basket as the entire hen  pristine  and  protected  than
            had written several chapters.  his passion.               not  yours,  OK?  That’s  the  house.”                    most  people  think  it  is  and
                                                                      first  answer  there,”  Bolson-                           much  more  threatened  than
            “Dom’s book project was on  Phillips  often  hiked  in  Rio  aro  retorted.  “We  preserved  He and Sampaio had moved  people  realize,”  he  wrote  to
            the cutting edge of environ-  de  Janeiro’s  Tijuca  Forest  more  than  the  entire  world.  to  the  northeastern  city  of  the AP in September.
            mental reporting in Brazil. It  National  Park  and,  atop  his  No country in the world has  Salvador. He was charged up
            was extremely ambitious, but  paddle  board  at  Copacabana  the moral standing to talk to  by  the  change  of  scene  and  He noted, with a hint of in-
            he had the experience to pull  beach,  was  in  his  element:  Brazil about the Amazon.”  teaching  English  to  children  trigue,  that  he  recently  vis-
            it off,” said Andrew Fishman,  floating  above  the  natural                           from  poor  communities.  ited a preserved area of virgin
            a  close  friend  and  journalist  world  and  observing.  He  Within  weeks,  man-made  They had begun the process  forest  full  of  massive  trees.
            at The Intercept. “We cannot  might  message  friends  out  fires  ravaged  the  Amazon,  to adopt a child.         Places like that, he said, were
            let  his  assassins  also  kill  his  of the blue, sharing news of  drawing global criticism, and                   usually inaccessible.
            vision.”                     spotting  a  ray  with  a  3-foot  the  clip  of  Bolsonaro’s  testy  Sampaio told the AP that she
                                         wingspan,  reflecting  a  won-  response  spread  among  his  doesn’t  know  what  will  be-  And  where  is  that  hallowed
            Phillips’  disappearance  and  der  more  common  among  supporters  as  evidence  the  come of her husband’s book,  ground?
            then  confirmed  death  has  children  than  57-year-old  far-right  leader  wouldn’t  be  but she and his siblings want
            brought calls for justice from  men,  and  he  brought  that  admonished by foreign inter-  it published — whether only  “You can read it in the book,”
            Brazil and abroad from actors,  spirit to his reporting.  lopers. Phillips then received  the  four  chapters  already  he  wrote,  “when  it  comes
            musicians and athletes, along                             abuse, but no threats.       written  or  including  others  out.”



                               8 more dead as India’s Assam state reels under floods


            (AP)  —  Massive  flooding  China’s  Tibet  through  In-  Minister  Himanta  Biswa  the government said the situ-   north.
            and  mudslides  in  north-   dia  and  into  Bangladesh  on  Sarma toured flood-hit areas  ation was likely to deteriorate
            eastern India’s Assam state  a  nearly  800  kilometer  (497  and described the situation as  in  the  worst-hit  Sunamganj  Lightning  strikes  in  parts  of
            have  claimed  eight  more  mile)  journey  through  As-  grim.                        and  Sylhet  districts  in  the  Bangladesh  have left at least
            lives, officials said Sunday,  sam.                                                    northeast  as  well  as  in  the  nine dead since Friday.
            taking the death toll to 62                               “We are now focusing on re-
            from weeks of heavy rains  On Sunday, four people went  lief  and  rescue  operations,”
            that  caused  one  of  Asia’s  missing when a boat carrying  Sarma said, adding that more
            largest rivers to overflow.  nine  capsized  in  eastern  As-  than 20,000 people have been
                                         sam’s Dibrugarh district, 500  evacuated  by  the  army  and
            Assam’s disaster management  kilometers  (310  miles)  east  other rescue agencies.
            agency  said  32  of  the  state’s  of  Gauhati,  the  state  capital.
            35 districts were underwater  Police said that search opera-  Annual  monsoon  rains  hit
            as  the  swollen  Brahmaputra  tions were ongoing but they  the  region  in  June-Septem-
            River  broke  its  banks,  dis-  were  hampered  by  strong  ber. The rains are crucial for
            placing more than 3 million  currents.                    crops planted during the sea-
            people. The Indian army was                               son but often cause extensive
            called  in  for  rescue  efforts  Forecasters  are  expecting  a  damage.
            and the air force remained on  respite from rains after inces-
            standby.                     sant downpours.              Flooding from swollen rivers
                                                                      has also spilled over to neigh-
            The Brahmaputra flows from  On  Saturday,  Assam’s  Chief  boring  Bangladesh,  where
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