TV studios fight for rights to story of Colombian children that survived alone in the Amazon
Hollywood is immersed in a race for the rights to the story of four indigenous Colombian siblings that survived alone in the Amazon for 40 days.
According to the Spanish newspaper El Pais, big names like Warner Bros, National Geographic, and Netflix are already biding for the story.
They are trying to arrange with the family to retain the rights to the story and interview the older child, who helped her brother and sisters survive.
The newspaper also revealed that the children's grandparents are asking the production to be directed by a Colombian and benefit their indigenous community.
Colombian authorities rescued the children on June 9. The kids, all under 13 years of age, had also survived a plane crash.
The siblings were traveling with their mother and two other adults, including the pilot, from the small Amazonian village of Araracuara to San Jose del Guaviare, a town right outside the jungle.
Image: Colombian Army / Handout
In the middle of the flight, the pilot declared an emergency due to an engine failure. The plane disappeared from the radar shortly after.
Image: Colombian Army / Handout
Two weeks after the accident, Colombian military forces found the plane's remains with the bodies of the three adults, but the children were missing.
Image: Colombian Army / Handout
The disappearance of the children sparked an intense search that gripped the entire nation for weeks. The armed forces called 150 soldiers with rescue dogs, and indigenous people volunteered to help.
Image: Colombian Army / Handout
The siblings, three girls aged 13, 9, and 11 months and a 4 year old boy are members of the Huitoto people. Authorities cited by local media said the older child had some knowledge of how to survive in the Amazon.
After the rescue, the Chief Commander of the Colombian military said on Twitter that they had succeeded thanks to joint efforts and posted pictures of the soldiers and volunteers with the children.
Image: Colombian Army / Handout
General Pedro Sanchez, the primary authority in the mission, told reporters that the children were found 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the plane.
Image: Colombian Army / Handout
Some Indigenous community members burned incense outside the Bogota military hospital Sunday to give thanks for the rescue, as shown in the picture.
Now the children are resting and recovering in a military hospital in Bogotá. Some details about how they survived all those days are starting to surface.
Authorities and family members have told the media that the kids ate only cassava flour, seeds, and some fruits. The Colombian President, Gustavo Petro, praised the strength of the children.
An Indigenous volunteer, Henry Guerrero, said they used an empty soda bottle to gather water. The youngest of the siblings turned one during their time in the jungle. In the picture, the child appears completely covered in a foil blanket.
Fidencio Valencia, an uncle, told the local outlet Noticias Caracol that one of them said they hid in tree trunks to protect themselves. The Amazon jungle has snakes, mosquitoes, and other dangerous animals.
The children, especially the older sister, Lesly, have revealed details of the accident. Manuel Ranoque, the father of the two youngest, told reporters that she said their mother was alive for four days after the accident.
After finding the children, a military rescue dog named Wilson also went missing. The incident has all the elements to be a good story for streaming and TV.