The father of two of the four children who survived a plane crash that killed their mother and two other adults and then survived alone in the Amazon jungle for 40 days has been arrested.
Colombian prosecutors confirmed officers have arrested 32-year-old Manuel Ranoque, the father of the one- and four-year-old boys in the accident and the stepfather of two girls, aged 9 and 13.
Officials gave few details about the arrest, but media reports say the case involved allegations of abuse.
Astrid Eliana Cáceres, director of the Colombian Institute for Family Welfare, said the state agency had been cooperating with the authorities.
“We have learned of the arrest of the father of two minor children from Mucutuy and believe that the prosecutor acted within the fullest limits of the law,” she said.
The father of two of the four children who survived a plane crash that killed their mother and two other adults and then survived alone in the Amazon jungle for 40 days has been arrested
Exclusive photos show the four siblings Lesly, 13, Soleiny, nine, Tien Noriel, four, and baby Cristin, one, safely in their hospital beds at a military hospital in Bogotá, Colombia
Ranoque was involved in a child custody dispute with his maternal grandparents.
According to the eldest child, Lesly, her mother died four days after the crash.
The four siblings have remained in the care of Colombia’s Child Protection Agency since leaving the hospital after recovering from malnutrition and other illnesses.
Her maternal grandfather, Narciso Mucutuy, has accused Ranoque of hitting her mother, Magdalena Mucutuy.
Before authorities confirmed his arrest, Ranoque admitted to reporters that there had been trouble at home, but said he viewed it as a private family matter and not “gossip” for the rest of the world.
When asked if he had assaulted his wife, Ranoque replied: ‘Suddenly verbally, yes.’ Physically very little because we fought more with words.’
According to El País, a Spanish-language daily, the arrest was made in Bogotá.
Astrid Cáceres, director of the Colombian Family Welfare Institute (ICBF), told the outlet that the siblings are fine.
Ranoque and the military participated in the rescue mission, during which the 32-year-old admitted using hallucinogens to have visions that could lead him to the displaced minors
“The children are still enforcing their rights.” We will not subject them to any other exercise. “Her story and personal life are her own,” she said.
Magdalena Mucutuy, the mother of the four children, died in a plane crash as they traveled to Bogota to meet Ranoque – who had fled an indigenous reservation where he was governor, according to the outlet.
It has been alleged that Ranoque tried to flee after reporting threats from the Carolina Ramirez Front – a group led by former guerrilla leaders with the aim of seizing control of Putumayo and Caquetá, two areas in the Colombian Amazon near the borders of Ecuador and Peru. to get. who play a crucial role in drug trafficking.
The children survived on cassava flour found in the luggage of one of the deceased, fruits from the jungle and an emergency supplies package dropped by the military.
Ranoque and the military participated in the rescue mission, during which the 32-year-old admitted using hallucinogens to have visions that could lead him to the displaced minors.
When the children were finally found in June, complaints from the children’s maternal grandparents began.
The ICBF took custody of the children while they investigated allegations of child abuse – allegations Ranoque vehemently denied and demanded custody.
“They are my children, not the president’s,” he told the newspaper in July.
Magdalena Mucutuy, the mother of the four children, died in a plane crash while traveling to Bogota to meet Ranoque
spoke to Valencia’s brother Dairo as he sat in the lobby of his Bogotá hotel. “We didn’t know that Magdalena would go with the kids,” Dairo said. “The most painful thing is that my sister never said goodbye to us”
Maternal grandparents, Narciso Mucutuy and María Fátima Valencia, claimed that Ranoque “beat her daughter and abused her grandchildren”.
They have also fought for custody of the children.
A few weeks ago it was reported that Ranoque had filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit against Avianline Charters – the owner of the crashed plane.
confronted Ranoque on the street after he claimed he had abused Magdalena and her family exclusively said he was having an affair.
Wearing what appeared to be new red and white Nike high-top sneakers, designer jeans, and a colorful indigenous beaded necklace with images of toucans and a tiger’s head, he dodged our questions.
When asked if he had an answer to the allegation that he physically hit Magdalena, one of the caregivers shook his head and said, “Don’t answer that.”
Ranoque, who at the time was outside the military hospital where all four children are recovering, said, “I can’t talk about that.”
“I can’t say anything.” They have forbidden me to say anything. “These are personal issues.”
It wasn’t clear who he meant when he said “she,” but it was clear he had an attorney involved.
The four indigenous children are pictured after being rescued. They went missing for six weeks in the Colombian Amazon jungle after a plane crash
Belgian shepherd Wilson played a crucial role in finding the four children but remains missing in the Amazon rainforest
When asked if he would talk about the rescue, he declined, saying, ‘I can’t right now.’ Because I have to go to the stores to get some clothes before they close.’ He did not say whether these were purchases for him or the children.
previously exclusively revealed that Magdalena’s brother Dairo Mucutuy, 30, believed Ranoque was cheating on his sister.
Ranoque – who has been vocal in demanding his rights to all four survivors – left Magdalena in her indigenous community and went to Bogota, claiming he was being threatened by FARC guerrillas in her home territory.
But in the sprawling capital, the father of the two younger children reportedly had an affair – and then took the woman back to live in the southern tribal area, devastating his wife of seven, her brother Dairo told .
Ranoque later traveled to Bogota again, but left the mother-of-four dangling in hopes they could rebuild a relationship, Dairo said at the time.
Dairo sat in the lobby of his hotel in Bogota and calmly told us, “What happened is that Manuel came to this town and cheated on my sister here.”
“The thing is, he brought the woman he cheated with back into the community. So of course my sister left her house because of the affair and moved in with me, my partner and our two children.’
Dairo, who has come to the capital from his base in the homeland of the Huitoto indigenous group to offer his support to the surviving children, continued: “Manuel went back to Bogota but he left a bag for them and inside was a piece of paper a telephone number.
“Magdalena communicated with him. But we noticed that she hid when she talked to him. And sometimes we heard her cry.
“We think she was somehow enticed to come to Bogotá.” We’re not exactly sure why.’
“We didn’t know that Magdalena would go with the kids,” Dairo said. “The most painful thing is that my sister never said goodbye to us.”
“We didn’t get to talk. It hurt when I found out what happened between her and Manuel. I’m so sad that I never really got to talk to her about it. I felt like I didn’t want to pressure her for something that was so difficult for her.
“I was waiting for the right moment. But that moment never came because she obviously made her decision to leave and we didn’t know about it.
“Just before that she came to a church meeting and we thought she was going to our aunt’s house.” Little did we know that her goal was to take that plane. Maybe she was confused. We’ll never know now.’
Amid the growing disagreement over the children’s future, Dairo said, “The hope is that the children will stay together because of what they’ve been through.”
“Lesly saw them all through.” And that creates a special bond. We want them to always stay together and that Manuel doesn’t fight for custody.
“I spoke to Andres, the father of the two older ones. He saw the children and told me that this is not the time for arguments and divisions. It is time to focus on the welfare, safety and comfort of children.”