Freed Belgian Hostages Finally Left Guatemala
Four Belgian tourists held hostage for 40 hours by peasant farmers in the Guatemalan jungle and released unharmed flew home last week, a Belgian embassy spokesman said.
The four middle-aged holiday makers were seized along with two Guatemalan guides as they traveled up a river from the Caribbean coast on Friday by machete-wielding farmers angry over the arrest of a local Mayan leader.
The tourists, released shortly before midnight in a swap with detained activists, were flown to Guatemala City and greeted by Guatemalan Vice President Rafael Espada, who said he would write to the Belgian government to apologize .
They spent the early hours of Sunday undergoing medical checks at a Guatemalan naval base at the Caribbean port of Puerto Barrios, where they were taken by a naval ship after their release to negotiators from the human rights ombudsman’s office.
“We want to apologize to the Belgian government for the incident and tell them we will make sure it doesn’t happen again,” Espada said after meeting the Belgians, who looked tired but relaxed.
The mob of farmers had threatened to hold the group until Guatemalan President Alvaro Colom agreed to talk to them about freeing jailed community leader Ramiro Choc, whose supporters say he is fighting for land rights.
