The president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, admitted this Thursday that the search for the four children who disappeared in a plane crash occurred in the jungles of the south of the country 18 days ago, while regretting what happened after he himself reported that the minors had been found alive in a report that now admits that “cannot be confirmed”.
The Head of State announced this Wednesday on Twitter: “After the arduous search efforts by our Military Forces, we found the 4 children who were missing alive due to the plane crash in Guaviare”.
Petro, who uses social media to report on key government issues, wrote today: “I decided to eliminate the trill (tweet) because the information provided by the ICBF cannot be confirmed. I’m sorry about what happened”.
The Colombian Institute for Family Welfare (ICBF) said in a statement yesterday that it has received information that the 13-, 9- and 4-year-old children, as well as the 11-month-old baby, have been found alive.
“In the afternoon of this May 17 (…) information was received from the territory ensuring contact with the four boys and girls who were among the people who were transported on the plane,” the ICBF said in a statement.
The agency, which works for the prevention and integral protection of children and adolescents, specified that the minors, according to the complaint made by the indigenous communities, “were found alive and also enjoying good health”.
But the Military Forces, which are leading the search efforts, they could not confirm yesterday’s discovery and they insist that they continue to look for them in this remote and leafy part of the country with a very adverse climate.
At the moment they have found the aircraft with the three bodies of the adults traveling with the four children and some clues from the minors such as an improvised shelter in the jungle, scissors and a bottle.
the search continues
In his message today, Petro also said that the military forces and indigenous communities will continue with the “tireless quest to give the country the news it awaits”.
“At the moment there is no other priority other than advancing with the search until you find them, the children’s lives are the most important thing,” he stressed.
In this framework, this Thursday ordered the director of the ICBF, Astrid Cáceres, to go to the jungle department of Guaviare to continue the search for Lesly Mucutuy13 years; Soleiny Mucutuy9; Tien Noriel Ronoque Mucutuy4, and Cristin Neriman Ranoque Mucutuy11 months.
They are all children of Magdalena Mucutuy Valencia (33), the woman who died in the accident together with Herman Mendoza Hernández, a militant in the fight for the rights of indigenous peoples, and the pilot Hernando Murcia Morales.
For their part, the Mucutuy Valencia and Mendoza Hernández families they dismissed the disinformation that circulated and demanded respect in the face of the false expectations that were generated.
“Physical and emotional health is not a game that can be canceled and/or easily forgotten”says a statement from the families released by the local media.
The document added: “The harassment of the media for making statements not only violates our rights, but also violence and fuels pain.”
However, they thanked Avianline Charter’s company and the bodies that supported the search for their loved ones.
“We request all relevant entities to carry out the due diligence and investigations that are underway to determine the cause of the accident,” the statement concludes.
The accident
Product of a supposed engine failurethe aircraft operated by the Avianline Charter company which was flying between Araracuara -a remote town located on the border between the departments of Caquetá and Amazonas- and San José del Guaviare an emergency has been declared.
Since then, a search plan has been deployed that involved three helicopters and more than 100 people in the hope of finding the children.
Last Monday the plane was in a rural area of the Palma Rosa hamlet, which is part of the municipality of Solano (Caquetá), with three of its occupants deceased. It was found upside down, indicating the crew may have attempted an emergency landing in gigantic trees with huge roots.
Where the accident occurred is at dense and rainy area This makes the search work being carried out by more than 100 members of the Military Forces, together with 3 trained search and tracking canines, as well as the indigenous people of the region, all supported by helicopters, more difficult.
The last thing the Army and Aerocivil found was “a makeshift shelter built with sticks and branches”where some “scissors and some ‘bows’ which women usually use to keep their hair” were found as well as pieces of fruit which could have been eaten by children.
Earlier, at another location, a dog part of the search found a bottle, which it presumed was used to feed the baby.
Source: Clarin
Mary Ortiz is a seasoned journalist with a passion for world events. As a writer for News Rebeat, she brings a fresh perspective to the latest global happenings and provides in-depth coverage that offers a deeper understanding of the world around us.