Mum fled with kids on plane after learning dad was cheating before Amazon crash

14 June 2023 , 12:47

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Manuel Ranoque is father of the two younger children and was the partner of their mother Magdalena Mucutuy, who died when their plane crashed into the Colombian jungle (Image: AFP via Getty Images)

The dad-of-two children rescued after surviving 40 days in the Colombian jungle is said to have been cheating on their late mum.

Magdalena Mucutuy Valencia died after the Cessna light aircraft carrying her and her four children smashed into the forest canopy, killing her, the pilot and an indigenous leader accompanying them.

Manuel Ranoque, the father of the two younger kids, Tien Noriel, four, and one-year-old Cristin, has been vocal about getting custody of all four of them after the death of their mother.

But now the mother's family has shared sordid details of his extra-marital activities, claiming he's not suitable to take the children in.

Magdalena's heartbroken brother Dairo, said the dad told Magdalena he was being threatened by FARC guerillas, which meant he needed to move to the capital, where by all accounts he was living the high life with a new woman.

Baby boy has spent his life in hospital as doctors are 'scared' to discharge him

He is said to have then brought his mistress back to live on Uitoto indigenous community land in the south of the country.

Mum fled with kids on plane after learning dad was cheating before Amazon crash

Magdalena tragically died in the crash (opiac-org-co)

Some of the objects the children used to keep themselves alive in the jungle (COLOMBIA AEROCIVIL HANDOUT/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

Dairo, 30, added that the reason for Magdalena and the kids being on the aircraft was because Manuel had dangled the hope of them getting back together.

Hopeful of reigniting their romance, she scooped up the kids and boarded the flight from Aracuara headed for San Jose Guaviare, a stop before continuing on to Bogota.

Speaking to the DailyMail, Dairo explained: "What happened is that Manuel had come to this city and here he cheated on my sister.

One of the young boys in hospital (PRESIDENCY OF COLOMBIA/HANDOUT/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

"The thing is, he took the woman he cheated with back to the community. So my sister of course left their house because of the affair and came to live with me and my partner and two children."

Dairo, who has returned to his hometown to support the youngsters, added: "Manuel went back to Bogota, but he left a bag for her and inside was a piece of paper with a phone number.

The Colombian Armed Forces performed a heroic six-week mission to track down the youngsters (MILITARY FORCES OF COLOMBIA/HANDOUT/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

"Magdalena was communicating with him. But we noticed when she talked with him she would hide. And we would sometimes hear her crying.

"We believe somehow she was fooled into trying to come to Bogota. We are not exactly sure of the reasons."

After the plane went down on May 1, Lesly, 13, Soleiny, nine, Tien Noriel, four, and Cristin, one, miraculously survived the impact jolt, but were left with just scraps of food in a hostile, insect-teeming jungle.

It wasn't another six weeks until they were rescued in a tale of heroism that has gripped the world.