Editorial from Diario; Natalee: A Mystery That Has A Solution!

August 8, 2005
Natalee: A Mystery That Has A Solution!
By: Jossy M. Mansur

One of the cases with the highest profile known in recent times, happened on Aruba and kept (and is still keeping) the attention of the Aruban and American People, just like other people around the world, tied to it to know the few real details that have been given. On Aruba, comments given by certain “experts” in the U.S. have caused some disgust, since in reality those comments have not adjusted themselves to the reality of our islands, nor of our Police Corps.

Several of us (including lawyers) have decided to talk openly with the gigantic media companies that are on Aruba, to satisfy the titanic demand that exists to know the developments in this case Unfounded criticism has been launched against us, not because we have decided to talk the truth, but because envy is a difficult thing to keep under control.

Listen, people: the more you try to hide the truth, the harder it is going to hit you when it gets out. The damage that has been done by those media communications are superficial, momentary and products of minds who have little analytical capability. To make ourselves ridiculous walking on the street with denigrating signs about the U.S. or its biggest news media, belongs to people without brains, without the real capacity to measure the consequences of such actions. Let the defense of Aruba in the hands of the Americans, and let [the Americans] know that we are willing to answer whatever question that they have without fear of speaking the truth. Remember that the battle between David and Goliath is a Bible story. Today, in a 1000 such battles, in 999 of the cases, Goliath would swallow David whole!

Furthermore, the publicity for Aruba as tourist island, as desirable destination to have a pleasant vacation, is so immense, that there is not enough money to pay a second of it. The publicized images by all the channels are so beautiful that I myself want to visit again the beaches that I have more than 30 years without enjoying. People who live in the most remote parts of the world know now about Aruba, where it is, how beautiful the beaches are, how attractive and modern the hotels are, and when this case comes to its conclusion (and it will come!) the boom in tourism for Aruba is going to be so enormous that will leave everyone stunned!

Now the cardinal question: Why not allow the FBI actively participate in the case? It has been present since the first day alongside the Police, as observers, speaking to and sharing experience with our cops, but not free to participate actively in the investigations. Allow me to compare the participation of the FBI with the medical attention that our people receive abroad. When a patient in Aruba, for example, in a advanced state of his/her illness, can’t be attended anymore by our doctors, what do we do? Do we let him/her die in the hospital or do we send him/her abroad to receive adequate medical care that we don’t have in Aruba? Of course that we sent him/her to save his/her life!. That does not mean that our doctors are incompetent, nor that they don’t know what they are doing, but that we don’t have the sophisticated equipment that the big countries have.

The same for our Police Corps. This is a case that, because of its implications, because of the mystery involved, because of the demotivation caused by the Minister of Justice in his war against our cops, must be opened completely to FBI veterans, one of the most professional agency in the world! And completely free! Bringing them in is not a reflection on the capacity of our cops, on the contrary, it demonstrates their professionalism and their will to resolve this case in the most efficient and rapid way.

Currently, a small Russian submarine is stuck under sea and three countries offered help to Russia (a gigantic country!), U.S., U.K. and Japan. What did Russia say? No, I don’t want your help? No! [Russia] said that she accepts all help that can save the life of the crew on board of the submarine! And they have been rescued! Here is an enormous country, with all sorts of technology, that accepts the help of other countries, why can we in Aruba not do the same?

The letter of Nel [Oduber, PM] and Rudy [Croes, Minister of Justice] on itself is not enough, it must go further in consulting with Foreign Relations in the Netherlands, for them to take the iniciative in contacting the State Department and allow, just like we permit the intervention of doctors in Houston, Venezuela and Colombia, the intervention of the super-effective agents of the FBI!

Those who want to keep on criticizing our interventions on television may keep on doing so because in my case it will have no effect: I will keep on informing the Aruban People and American People on the details that here at Diario we are able to discover via our contacts. The vast majority of people, know that I’m not going to think, speak or do something that is against the interests of Aruba.

I am of the opinion that we are reaching the conclusion of this case. It’s not going to be a mystery that will stay without a solution. Our police agents, and the Justice Department are much more prepared to take the case to Court than what many think. Prosecutor Jansen feels that she has a very strong case, and what deals with the team of Aruban investigators, headed by the always effective Roy Tromp, he is totally competent and has enough evidence to present (via Prosecutor) a solid case against the guilty in the disappearance of the American citizen, Natalee Holloway, that came to Aruba to celebrate her graduation, and disappeared. This case deserves all the attention that we can give to resolve it, and so permit the family to take her back to Birmingham, to thus go on with their lives and achieve the spiritual and mental peace that they need to survive the loss of a child, which is a tragedy of enormous magnitude.