Villagers free four Belgian hostages
Four Belgian tourists held hostage for 40 hours by farmers in the Guatemalan jungle and released unharmed might fly home today, a Belgian Embassy spokesman said.
The tourists and two Guatemalan guides were seized as they traveled up a river from the Caribbean coast Friday by farmers angry over the arrest of a local Maya leader.
The tourists, released shortly before midnight in a swap with detained activists, were flown to Guatemala City and greeted by Vice President Rafael Espada, who said he would write to the Belgian government to apologize.
They underwent 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.
A spokesman for the nearest Belgian Embassy, in Costa Rica, said the tourists could be flown to Belgium today.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
