Kriti Mehrotra
It was on May 1, 2023, when the entire world was baffled as a small plane crashed in the Colombian Amazon forest, leaving all the adults aboard dead and four children (siblings) gravely injured. These Indigenous kids were between the ages of 13 years and 11 months, as explored in Netflix’s ‘The Lost Children,’ yet they still managed to survive without any assistance for 40 long days. The army, local volunteers, their loved ones, as well as their father/stepfather Manuel Ranoque were all dedicated to finding them, only for it to happen on the very last day of their planned search.
Manuel Ranoque Reportedly Has a Chequered Past
Although a proud native of the Indigenous reserve of Puerto Sábalo, Manuel has reportedly not had a good reputation in his hometown or the nearby areas for years, owing to a myriad of reasons. These allegedly include serious claims of him being someone who drank too much, a bully to those he considered on a lower level than him, as well as a domestically/physically abusive partner. However, since he has always also been quite charming, it didn’t take long for Magdalena Mucutuy Valencia to fall head over heels for him after they met in an illegal mine in Araracuara in early 2017.
In fact, according to records, it didn’t even take long for Magdalena and Manuel to move in together in the Colombian Amazon forest reserve despite her parents’ disapproval of their relationship. The truth is the former already had two children from a previous union – Lesly Jacobombaire Mucutuy (born in 2010) and Soleiny Ranoque Mucutuy (born in 2014) – just for him to initially take them in too. Yet, things seemingly changed once the couple welcomed kids of their own – Tien Noriel Ranoque Mucutuy (born in 2019) and Cristin Mucutuy (born in 2022) – as he allegedly turned abusive.
While not much was clear when the siblings were missing, as Manuel had come across as a genuinely concerned and desperate father/stepfather, Magdalena’s family has since made some allegations. As per her sister Yeritza Mucutuy as well as mother Fatima Mucutuy in the aforementioned original production, he was actually hurting not just the mother of four but also his stepdaughter Lesly. They actually even went as far as to claim both females had many scars on their bodies, with the placement on the latter being rather clever so that she could hide them with her clothes or long hair.
Manuel Ranoque’s Alleged Lies Broke Not Long After the Children Were Found
Manuel had initially told investigators he had suddenly left the reserve in April 2023 as someone had threatened his life, driving him to find a new place in Bogotá before asking his family to join. That’s why his wife and four kids were on that small plane, he once said, making him feel as if the accident, Magdalena’s demise, as well as the siblings’ having gone missing were all his fault. However, shortly after all four kids were found safe, sound, and alive, it was reported he had actually traveled to Bogotá to meet his ex-wife before bringing her back to the reserve as a surprise.
This, according to a local community leader’s statements, understandably infuriated Magdalena to such an extent she decided to confront her husband one evening, only for him to turn violent. Manuel allegedly attacked her with a machete, resulting in all the reserve elders coming together to punish him. But alas, instead of facing the dire consequences of his actions, he chose to flee before later contacting his wife in the hopes of rekindling their connection. It was, hence, no surprise to anyone when Colombian authorities began investigating him on charges of domestic violence, just to soon uncover even more severe accusations of assault.
Manuel Ranoque is Currently Behind Bars Awaiting Trial
Although the four Mucutuy kids had spent all their lives together up until they were found in June 2023, Manuel essentially decided to split them up while they were recovering in a local hospital. After all, he applied for custody of only his biological children, driving Magdalena’s parents to vehemently insist that all of them should be placed in their care as they believed him to be dangerous. Little did anyone know that Magdalena’s first husband/the father of Lesly and Soleiny would soon come into the picture, too, demanding custody of his girls and leaving the state in a predicament.
In the end, the Institute of Family Welfare decided the best thing for the siblings right now would be to keep them together under its care, yet with their relatives having full regular visitation access. That’s when they became suspicious of a deeper prior mistreatment of Lesly, kickstarting a more in-depth investigation into Manuel that resulted in his arrest on charges of sexual abuse in August 2023. From what we can tell, while a custody decision is expected in the spring of 2025, Manuel remains behind bars, asserting his innocence and awaiting trial to this day – the dates for his court proceedings are not scheduled as of writing.
Read More: The Lost Children: Where Are The Kids Now?
