For many of these small groups, remaining uncontacted is a survival strategy.

Some members of the armed forces resent the influence and popularity of the Catholic Church in the Amazon.

“As long as there is a dictatorship in Venezuela, it is better not to return,” said Alexander. “I feel that there is an illegitimate government, a power that literally controls everything, but also an opposition that has defrauded the people many times.”

The tragedy raises anew the question: Is Brazil capable of pursuing economic development while responsibly caring for its environment?

Soup lines are longer, more people depend on charities to get by, and more live on the streets or have joined the burgeoning populations of Argentina’s impoverished villas.

Mr. Bolsonaro’s far-right rhetoric during the campaign has led to uncertainties about his policies as president and drawn international concern about the course he will set for the nation.

Ms. Morais’s death is a notorious example of an everyday horror in Brazil and other Latin American states: the crime of femicide. In 2017 at least 2,795 women were victims of femicide in 23 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.

In his first speech after his victory, Brazil’s far-right president-elect thanked God and praised voters for allowing the country to “march now on the right path.”

About 5,000 people leave Venezuela every day. According to the U.N. Refugee Agency, at least 1.9 million Venezuelan citizens have left the country since 2015, fleeing from the economic and political crisis that the country is experiencing under President Nicolás Maduro.

Brazil is preparing for presidential elections on Oct. 7. Catholics are divided and often use religious arguments to justify their choices.