As Denver keeps telling me, it’s ages since I posted on Alex’s websites, but that is because I keep hoping there will be news on the police visit, but nothing actually happens.
The situation as I understand it at present, is that the police in Boquete, where Alex disappeared, are waiting for two police officers from Manchester to arrive. These two officers are ready to go – they have even had their vaccinations – but they can’t move without a diplomatic invitation from Panama which comes from Senior Victor Garcia, the Head of Interpol there. Nobody can get a response from Sr. Garcia.
So far we have involved [in no particular order], our MP, Mark Hunter; the Panamanian Ambassador to the UK; the British Ambassador to Panama; David Milliband, Foreign Secretary; the Assistant Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police; the Chief of Police in Panama and probably several others. None of these people appears to have any objection to the visit.
Interpol London have been persuaded to co-operate. I have written to the President of Panama. But then there is Senor Garcia.
I keep thinking that Alex would have considered all this to have tremendous potential for a play, an epic poem or a few well-chosen sardonic remarks!
I am still in Miami. The delays are driving me crazy. The only people keeping me together are the family and Matt Searle of Missing Abroad and the support of all of you. And I really don’t know what to do next.
I have been warned off trying to use the Press on the basis that I will lose the co-operation of the two governments – and Sr Garcia? I cannot let this go – not only because of Alex – but because there will be others. If we could break through this diplomatic [here substitute whatever expletive you choose], it might make it easier for another family in the future.
So, I want to ask your help. I am going to message each of you individually and ask you to e-mail Sr. Garcia. Just a couple of sentences. I’ll make some suggestions although my Spanish is not that good. It doesn’t really matter whether you write in English or in Spanish, or what you say. I just want to try to get his attention. Then every couple of days, you could hit the resend button. Or for a little variety, send exactly the same message to his deputy Sra Gloria Silva.
Please get everyone you can think of to do the same thing. At my age, I never thought I’d want to harness Facebook technology – but there you go!
And if anyone has any other ideas, please don’t keep them to yourself!
Gill
