Four Colombian children survived 40 days in the Amazon jungle. Now, they're trapped in another battl

News of the miracle rescue of four children stranded in the Amazon rainforest brought relief to millions following the case. But their challenges continue as they reel from the physical and psychological aftermath of the survival - and a legal battle for their custody. Andrea Blanco reports

2 hours ago



Miembros del Ejército de Colombia revisan a uno de los cuatro niños indígenas que fueron encontrados con vida después de estar perdidos durante 40 días en la selva amazónica colombiana.

(Colombian Presidency/AFP via Get)

(Google translation)
"Members of the Colombian Army check on one of the four indigenous children who were found alive after being lost for 40 days in the Colombian Amazon jungle."


The flight to the Colombian capital of Bogotá on 1 May was always meant to be life-changing for Magdalena Mucutuy and her four children. They were leaving behind their life in their Indigenous reserve near the Amazon Rainforest, and everything that was familiar to them.

It was meant to be a fresh start, a new beginning — an opportunity to join Mucutuy’s husband and the father of her two youngest children, Manuel Ranoque, who had fled the reserve allegedly prompted by threats from guerrilla members. Mucutuy and the children — Lesly, 13, Soleiny, nine, Tien Norien, four, and one-year-old Cristin — were following behind, but a tragic crash ended her life and left her kids stranded in the forest.

Like many Indigenous kids, a profound sense of respect for the jungle and an appreciation for both its captivating beauty as well as its hidden dangers was instilled in the Mucutuy children from a young age. They relied on those instincts to survive a nearly-impossible odyssey that made headlines across the world. For forty days, the jungle became their maze but also their protector, their only resort as hundreds of Army officials combed through dense foliage with unwavering hope.

On 9 June, news of their rescue brought relief to millions following the case. But with the prospect of a long physical and emotional recovery ahead and amid allegations of abuse against Mucutuy’s husband, a legal battle for the children’s custody has ensued, marking the continuation of what promises to become the hardest chapter in their lives.

“The jungle saved them,” Colombian President Gustavo Petro said last week. “They are children of the jungle, and now they are also children of Colombia.”

More:
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/colombia-children-rescued-amazon-rainforest-b2356873.html

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