Sir Geoffrey Jackson; Kidnaped Envoy
Sir Geoffrey Jackson, the British diplomat who spent eight months in a Uruguay dungeon in 1971 after being kidnaped by guerrillas, died Thursday at age 72, his family said.
Jackson, who died of unspecified causes, was the British ambassador to Uruguay when he was seized by left-wing Tupamaros guerrillas who ambushed his chauffeur-driven car in Montevideo in 1971.
He spent 245 days in a damp dungeon while the British government refused to bargain for his release.
The diplomat, who became a symbol of stoicism during his ordeal, eventually persuaded his captors that there no longer was any point in holding him.
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