British journalist Dom Phillips, a contributor to The Guardian (R), and indigenous activist Bruno Araújo Pereira (L).

Brasilia, June 11 (RHC)-- Former soccer player Edson Arantes do Nascimento Pelé increased the pressure on the Brazilian government to intensify the search for the British journalist and the indigenous man who have been missing since last Sunday in a remote region of the Amazon.

"I join the many voices calling for the intensification of the searches," the three-time world soccer champion with the Brazilian national team posted on his Twitter account.

Pele was moved by the whereabouts of British journalist Dom Phillips, a contributor to The Guardian, and indigenous activist Bruno Araújo Pereira, missing since last Sunday.

Phillips, 57, and Pereira, 21, are known for defending indigenous peoples. They were visiting the Sao Rafael community, located in the Javari Valley nature reserve in the state of Amazonas, and were supposed to travel by boat to the city of Atalaia do Norte, but never arrived.

"The fight for the preservation of the Amazon rainforest and for the protection of indigenous peoples belongs to all of us.  I am moved by the disappearance of Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira, who dedicate their lives to this cause," said the former football star.

The government of President Jair Bolsonaro has been facing intense domestic and foreign pressures for greater efforts in the searches and the mobilization of more military and police in the operations.

The extreme right-winger expressed that he wished they were found, but warned of the possibility that "they had been executed" and claimed that they were reckless for their "adventure" in a region that has become the area of action of logging, fishing, mining and illegal hunting groups, together with drug trafficking.

The Javari Valley Indigenous Land has the highest concentration of uncontacted indigenous peoples in the world. Phillips and Pereira were analyzing indigenous territory surveillance teams against drug traffickers and loggers at the time of their disappearance.

Authorities arrested Amarildo da Costa de Oliveira, a suspect in the disappearance who was wanted for threats against indigenous people in the region.  Residents saw him chasing the disappeared in a boat, but he denies any connection to the incident.