British journalist missing in Brazil for almost two weeks

The Association of Foreign Press Correspondents in Brazil (ACIE) has revealed that a British journalist living in Brazil, Charlotte Peet, has been missing for almost two weeks.

ACIE in a statement on Thursday said the 32-year-old last contacted a friend in Rio de Janeiro on 8 February, saying via WhatsApp that she was in São Paulo and planned to travel to Rio.

“The friend, unable to host her, later learned from Peet’s family that they had lost contact with her,” the statement revealed.

ACIE confirmed that Peet’s disappearance was reported to Brazilian police on 17 February. After an initial review by the Tourist Assistance Police in Rio, the case was transferred to São Paulo’s homicide and personal protection division (DHPP), which handles missing persons cases.

In a statement to CNN, São Paulo’s public security secretariat said the 5th Precinct of the DHPP’s Missing Persons Division is “taking steps to locate the missing woman and clarify the facts.”

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“ACIE and its board of directors appeal to the competent authorities to intensify the search in order to find the British journalist as soon as possible,” ACIE added.

A spokesperson for the UK Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) told CNN that it is “supporting the family of a British woman who has been reported as missing in Brazil and are in contact with the local authorities.”

Peet previously lived in Brazil as a correspondent “more two years ago,” ACIE said. After a brief return to the UK, she moved back to Brazil in November 2024.

According to her LinkedIn profile, Peet is fluent in Portuguese, and her online portfolio shows she has freelanced in Brazil for several publications throughout her career.

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