Father of ‘miracle’ jungle kids targeted by drug guerrillas
The father of the four children who survived a plane crash in the Colombian jungle has claimed that he is being targeted by a violent guerrilla group that controls drug trafficking in the Amazon. Manuel Ranoque, the father of the two youngest children who survived the May 1 crash, and stepfather to the others, alleged that the Carolina Ramirez Front, a dissident group of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), has threatened to kill him. The group is named for a former guerrilla combatant and is known to control drug trafficking in Vaupes and Guaviare. Reports suggest that Ranoque has been in hiding in Bogota since the threats were made.
The children, aged 13, 9, 5, and 1, were rescued after almost a month in the jungle and are recuperating in a military hospital. Ranoque, who related to the governor of the Huitoto Los Monos reservation in remote Puerto Zabalo, believes that the guerrillas could target the children in order to pressure him. “They have an economic interest, and while you don’t do as they say, you are their enemy. They are going to look directly for me here, they are going to send someone directly here,” he told reporters.
Last month, the Colombian government suspended its six-month truce with the dissident FARC group following the May 17 murder of four indigenous adolescents from the Murui tribe who the group had forcibly recruited. The teens were killed after they tried to flee the guerrillas, according to the National Organization of Indigenous Peoples of the Colombian Amazon.
In the wake of the rescue, Ranoque came under fire from some of his family members who said that he had allegedly abused his wife and tried to sexually abuse one of her daughters. In an interview, Ranoque denied the allegations.
FAQs
What happened to the children in the plane crash?
The four children, aged 13, 9, 5, and 1, survived more than a month in the Colombian jungle after a plane crash that left their mother dead. The children’s stepfather, Manuel Ranoque, was also on the plane but survived the crash.
Who rescued the children?
Dozens of members of Colombia’s armed forces, who used tape-recorded messages from the children’s maternal grandmother broadcast from loudspeakers on low-flying aircraft, found the children and rescued them.
Why is the father of the children hiding?
Manuel Ranoque, the father of the two youngest children who survived the crash, has claimed that he is the target of a violent guerrilla group that controls drug trafficking in the Amazon. The Carolina Ramirez Front, a dissident group of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), allegedly threatened to kill him. Reports suggest that Ranoque has been in hiding in Bogota since the threats were made.
Why did the Colombian government suspend its truce with the dissident FARC group?
The Colombian government suspended its six-month truce with the dissident FARC group following the May 17 murder of four indigenous adolescents from the Murui tribe who the group had forcibly recruited. The teens were killed after they tried to flee the guerrillas, according to the National Organization of Indigenous Peoples of the Colombian Amazon.
What allegations have been made against the children’s stepfather?
In the wake of the rescue, Manuel Ranoque came under fire from some of his family members who said that he had allegedly abused his wife and tried to sexually abuse one of her daughters. In an interview, Ranoque denied the accusations.
What is happening to the children now?
The children, aged 13, 9, 5, and 1, are recuperating in a military hospital. A custody battle over the children has reportedly begun. Ranoque now wants the Colombian government of President Gustavo Petro to help him with the children, and to compensate him and the other indigenous leaders who helped with the rescue effort.
Targeted by drug guerrillas, father of ‘miracle’ jungle kids faces danger
Manuel Ranoque, the father of the four children who survived a plane crash in the Colombian jungle, has spoken out about fearing for his life. The group he claims is targeting him is a violent guerrilla group, Carolina Ramirez Front, known to control drug trafficking in the area. The group allegedly threatened to kill Ranoque and, since then, he has been in hiding in Bogota. Ranoque has family connections to the governor of the Huitoto Los Monos reservation in Puerto Zabalo and is related to Herman Mendoza Hernandez, who was on the Cessna 206 and died in the accident. Although the four children survived the accident, their mother passed away four days later.