RSSNatalee Holloway: Alabama Governor Calls For Boycott on Aruba
This morning Alabama Governor Bob Riley called for a boycott on Aruba in 
response for the lack of a serious investigation by Aruban officials in the Natalee Holloway investigation. Governor Riley also asked for better communication and cooperation with the Twitty and Holloway family in dealing with the investigation. Gov. Riley also said that he would ask the 49 other United States Governors to join him in the boycott against Aruba.
Alabama Gov. Bob Riley called for a travel boycott of Aruba on Tuesday until authorities on the Dutch Caribbean island cooperate more fully with the family of a Mountain Brook teenager who has been missing since a graduation trip in May.
Her mother, Beth Holloway-Twitty, joined Riley at the Alabama Capitol for the boycott announcement.
During the press conference at the Capitol Building, Governor Riley stated the following:
“We’ve been talking about this for the past two or three months,” said Riley. “We’ve been going through this for months, and all these people have asked is for the Aruban government to be open, to be candid, to explain to them (the Holloway family) and allow them to see interrogations that have gone on. To allow them to have the FBI be a part of that investigation. They have asked for the investigation team to be removed and I believe that is a reasonable request, based on everything we know up until this point.”
Governor Riley during his press conference reminded everyone that he could not legally prevent people from traveling to Aruba, he was asking fellow citizens to support the Holloway/Twitty family so that they may get a just and proper resolution to the disappearance of their daughter, Natalee Holloway.
The bottom line: The governor wants the people of Alabama to step up and support the Holloway family until there is some type of resolution in the case of missing teen Natalee Holloway. By stepping up, the governor wants people to stay away from Aruba.
While Riley says legally the government cannot force people to boycott travel to the island, he plans to not only ask Alabamians to stay away from aruba, but he’ll also ask the governors of the 49 other states to take the same action.
The Alabama Legislature had earlier passed a bill asking for a boycott during the summer; however, the family had shied away from the proposal as the investigation went on for their missing daughter. Recent events and what appeared to be a total breakdown in communication and cooperation toward the end of Dave Holloway’s last visit to Aruba, after he left and during Beth Twitty’s last brief visit.
With the recent lack of cooperation in helping Texas Equusearch get more high tech equipment and the families perceived perception in the direction the ALE was leading the case it probably did not come as a 
surprise to many that this day unfortunate as it is finally arrived. When speaking with Dave Holloway he said, “everyone has their limit to what their patience can handle, I reached mine as well.” The Alabama Governor pretty much summed up the frustration of the family and many.
“There are no other alternatives to get Aruban authorities to take this as seriously as they should,” Riley said in calling for the boycott. “I am reaching the point of exasperation,” he said. “Every time we talk to them we get a different response.”
One wonders the impact of an actual boycott and whether such measures will some how make a difference in how the investigation in to the disappearance of Natalee Holloway will be handled. The United States makes up a great deal of Aruba’s tourism. It is a shame that it ever had to come to this. 
Tourism accounts for 70 percent of the gross domestic product of Aruba, an island of 97,000 residents which receives some 728,000 visitors each year and another 550,000 cruise ship passengers. Island officials have said more than 70 percent of the visitors are from the United States.
Posted November 8, 2005 by Scared Monkeys Aruba, Beth Holloway, boycott, Dave Holloway, Natalee Holloway | 24 comments |
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24 Responses to “Natalee Holloway: Alabama Governor Calls For Boycott on Aruba”
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Good.
If Aruba believes it can cover up the rape and murder of an American to protect their tourism, then the only solution is to threaten their tourism industry.
B O Y C O T T A R U B A !!
I support a Boycott of Aruba
GO BETH GO
get bumper stickers out “boycot aruba”
Thank you for the post. The Natallee Holloway case has bothered me since June. I just wish I could do something. This is a never ending nightmare. Aruba the Happy Island is more like Nightmare Island. Ed Hixon
Aruba take a good look at what a country will do for one of there own. I back this Botcott !00%. I hope Aruba and Holland will do what ever it takes to make this a short boycot . I do not want innocent Arubans hurt but only the Arubans can change there laws and make there leaders do the right thing which is give us Natalee back to her home landandThe USA and give Beth and Dave Justice for what these guys have done. Gram23
I can believe Ms Holloway is frustrated but is she really want to punish a whole island because the case is not solved?
Maybe we should ban travelling to the US because Pres. Kennedy’s assasination never has been solved.
My only impression is that Ms Holloway is media geil and likes the media sitting on top of her.
She should better play the ball correctly and with less media.
Elio peacefull.
I’m Christian, and like so many other Christians or non-Christian religions in the world, we try to abide by a wise law of morale principles that should guide us in our daily life. Those principles guide us in how we treat others whom we do not know as well as those we do know.
However, if someone does harm unto our family it does not state in any wise law of morale principles that we cannot seek justice; it only states that if we are too weak (to fight a large enemy) that our God will seek justice on our behalf.
It states nothing in any book of wise morale principles that we should remain weak and rollover to take a continuous barrage of hate attacks till our end days. It does state that we should stand up and fight our enemy with all of our available tools that God has given unto us from neighbors and friends.
Based on this knowledge I support the Holloway-Twitty family and the Honorable Alabama Governor Bob Riley in their boycott of traveling to Aruba. This family, as well as any other family in the world has every morale right to seek justice and receive it without condemnation and sickly humor from a foreign nation or island.
My sincerest sympathy and prayers are always with Natalee Holloway, her family and many friends. I will also write the governor of Texas and ask for their support in this boycot.
Sounds good to me. I canceled my aruba plans a couple of months ago. I really don’t want my wife and daughter on an island that employs a police force that could care less if a young girl goes missing.
These incredible morons actually told the family to relax on day one of Natalee’s disappearance because they figured she was either drunk, in a crack house, or shacked up with one of the irresistable island boys! Couple that with a 10 day pass for the 3 liars, and you have the actual reason for the boycott …. Incompetent police force that can’t be counted on to help a visitor in trouble!
People of aruba, it’s not about you, unless you are not coming forward with the truth. It’s about your police force and government. Start pressuring them yourself and lets get to the truth in this case. The dutch interrogators were getting to the facts, but they were stopped when the judges let the suspects walk.
icey
When anyone visits another country, they knowingly leave behind the laws (and protections?) of the United States. During their stay in the other country, they are under the laws and the management of those laws of that country be that good or bad.
For that reason, many parents refuse to allow their children travel outside this country with poor (at best) supervision as occured in the Natalie Holloway case.
Unfortunately for the family of Natalie Holloway, they realized their mistake too late. No boycott can bring their daughter back alive. No amount of publicity can relieve the guilt they must be suffering. It is time that they begin to deal with the loss of their daughter rather than continue to avoid confronting her death by focusing on other issues including the poor handeling of the case by the Aruba government.
Boycotting Aruba may send a signal that people in this country do not approve of Aruba’s handeling of the case but it is doubtful that it will accomplish anything else. Reality, Aruba existed long before Natalie Holloway and it will continue to exist long after. We will not change the way they choose to run their government.
Alabama resident
I have to say ABOUT TIME. Now maybe someone might take this investigation seriously and speak up.
I must say… it’s a sad day when elected officials are intervening in personal cases, calling for international boycotts based on the frustrations of one American family with the progress made on their daughter’s investigation.
Is this the America that these officials want to portray… a bully of a nation, who targets innocent people, taking the bread off their table, because you alledge that the officials of this country are corrupt? Yet you have brought forward no proof to back these allegations up. Any governor of a state that is even considering this boycott should look into these facts before making such a bold statement as Gov. Riley did today. On what would you base this call?
Beth, we’re all frustrated and hoping that this case is solved… but what is this boycott really going to achieve? Will it help? I highly doubt it. You see, the Aruban authorities have no reason whatsoever to block this investigation. Just like you, they’re just hoping for an ending to this case which has been an absolute nightmare to the island. So yes Beth, it could just be that there is simply no evidence to point to a solution to this case. Boycotting Aruba will not help solve that problem. It will only make you look like the villain in the eyes of the Aruban people whose bread you’re threatening to take away. People who don’t have ANYTHING to do with this case. And you wonder why you got such a cold reception when you went back to the island last week…
This boycott is all about corrupt officials in high offices
WHAT HAPPEN TO THE EVIDENCE…..FIND IT!
CONVENIENTLY LOST…OR DID NOT WARRANT INVESTIGATION.
Paulus VanderSloot could not be owed favors of this magnitude.
Arubans tell what you know about these officials who are
causing this boycott. Beth Holloway Twitty & Dave Holloway and
their families are not causing this boycott….
Your own government is Corrupt blame them!
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This is just perfect! Terrific!!!
Please boycott Aruba you guys, this way, we dutch people, can go Aruba much cheaper!
I really hope you guys will do your best to realize the boycott.
Keep up the good work!
Soj
If it takes a Boycott…I will vote for it 100% too…
The Natalee Holloway case has become global…It is a wake-up call for the future welfare of mankind…who continue to travel outside the United States…
To the Twitty’s and the Hollway’s and everyone else who is working so hard from their angle to help find Natalee…I support you 100% too…
The exposure of this case in the public eye…is what everyone needed to see and hear…in order to face and understand…the realities of what could happen to them or their loved ones when traveling to Aruba or any other country…
On the same token…The Twitty’s and the Holloway’s are setting forth precedence with this case…that will help prevent this same sort of occurrence from happening to anyone else who visits Aruba or other countries…
Knowledge is powerful…And it takes the voice of the people with this knowledge to make a difference for everyone…
And I am thankful that the Twitty’s and the Holloway’s have the resources that was needed to bring forth this case to the light…
Because if the Natalee Holloway case had stayed in the dark…then any help for anyone in the future would have been useless…
And for the BOYS AND GIRLS of all SCHOOL SYSTEMS in the United States…Your “VOICE” speaking today will make a difference in the future planning of trips outside the U.S. borders…
OUR FUTURE…LIES IN THE HANDS OF THE BOYS AND GIRLS IN ALL SCHOOL SYSTEMS…
BOYS AND GIRLS INSIST THAT YOUR SCHOOL SYSTEMS PUTS WARNINGS IN THE STUDENT HANDBOOKS ABOUT TRAVELING OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES FOR ANY TYPE OF TRIP…
THE STUDENT HANDBOOK IS ONE POSITIVE WAY THAT CAN HELP BRING FORTH AWARENESS TO ALL BOYS AND GIRLS IN ALL SCHOOL SYSTEMS…THE STUDENT HANDBOOK IS GIVEN OUT TO ALL STUDENTS EVERY YEAR…
And at our school…the parents and the students have to sign the last page of the student handbook that basically says that we both have read the book and understand the rules…
Just a note….Not everyone watches television, and not everyone reads the newpaper, but all boys and girls in all school systems gets a student handbook…And it goes home with the student…and most parents read the book and have to sign it…
So ultimately the parents are informed also of the warnings when traveling outside U.S. borders…
I am a parent also…And until the Holloway case was brought forth…I did not know of the “goings on” in Aruba…Now that I am aware of some of the things…I will not help sponsor any trip for my children or any other children to go to Aruba…
I have never seen Beth and Jug look more sad. They are physically and mentally and emotionally sick from all of this. As a traveler myself, I feel the impact WILL be felt in Aruba in the coming months as trips are planned several months in advance. I hope that Jossy isn’t hurt, he has been so helpful to them…
People posting their angry remarks towards the missing girl’s mom need to evaluate what they would have done in the same situation….seem logical enough for everyone? Again, what happened to the “blue-green” swatch of clothing that (judging from Hyscience site) matched some of the last clothing Natalee was seen wearing? Into the “black hole of the evidence? Maybe the ALE just need to get better office help…to help file paperwork, evidence, etc… correctly, you know, so nothing else is “lost”.
Have a nice day everyone!
GO STEELERS!
Barbara, I for one think you are totally wrong. No blame should be put on the family for what happened to their daughter. The people on this island are responsible for electing the officials, and they need to be on alert that something needs to change. The current people in charge don’t have a clue as to how to investigate a missing person/murder, nor do they seem to care. These are not the kind of officials I would want in charge of my safety. The current people in charge, if we gave them the benefit of a doubt and said they were competant, must on the other hand, be corrupt if this was allowed to happen. These are not the kind of officials I would want in charge of my safety. Either way, incompetant or corrupt, something needs to change. Americans can spend their money in other places until the people in charge decide that Americans DESERVE and EXPECT RESPECT. Aruba, don’t believe that you can continue to hide what went wrong. TexasRick, I agree with you.
Barbara,
My daughter is in college and went to Cancun last spring break. I was worried the whole time. They were planning to go to Aruba this year, BUT THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. It is true that the boycott will not bring her daughter back alive but it will make others much more aware of the problems on Aruba since they have been promoted by travel agents to be the safest place to send our children for so long. The damage to Aruba has already been done. Yes, they will survive but it will take a long period of time to get back the amount of tourism from the US they have been enjoying. I doubt that they will ever get it all back.
Thanks to this boycott Aruba has welcome the Afky Airline from Europe and welcome the Europe Tourist this week. And I really hope that, the American Airline, Delta Airline & SkyWest Airlines , US Airways, Continantal Airline, JetBlue Airways, Midwest Airlines, United Air Lines, Southwest Airlines, Northwest Airlines, Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air, will survive this boycott to Aruba. All are USA Airlift. Not Aruban. The Aruban have also to think about buying American Product in Aruba. Every thing in Aruba is American product. Just an Idea?
Sadly, NH’s family knows there is no evidence to convict anyone in this case. They are aware that the FBI has no jurisdiction in this case. It’s sad but true. We all know it as well.
This attempt at a boycott is purely personal revenge. It will never solve this case. We all know that as well.
The only thing that happend on Aruba, is 1 girl going wild, missing next day and not to be found. Same thing happens everywhere…
[...] this sound like a great place to vacation? Countless individuals such as the governor of Alabama and even Dr. Phil have chosen to boycott Aruba. Add my name to that list. Maybe if their tourism [...]
Beleave me….i live in holland…and peter r de vries solve the case…..when you are an criminal he is a bad sucker…and peter was earlier a fictum of hostig….he was a reporter by an news magazine the revu ,,,the criminal thakes peter to a place calles Emmen en there he was tyde up at an radiatot in the livingroom…
so peter knows his skills and believe me joran is hanging…but there is an problem…if you murder one man in holland the punnishmend is not hight.
And that is the big problem.
I hope that there is a little bit peace by the family hollow after sunday.
___________
SM: I am sure there will be a legal form of justice.