Young Oklahoman Missing in Ecuador

[Jeff Dunsavage]

The most poignant piece of this story is the father's quote: "Everyone's baffled, because it's not a dangerous place. There's no rebels or something like that that who kidnap people. I can't come up with a scenario that could make sense." On what basis does he say this? State Department information? Media accounts? Neither the State Department nor the media make a serious effort to inform us of the very real hazards in these countries. Don't believe me? Ask any of the families of The Missing Americans Project who have lost people in Costa Rica, purportedly an island of safety and security in an otherwise dangerous region. The embassy says, "Protecting the well-being of U.S. citizens is one of the [State] department's highest priorities." That, my friends, is a flat-out, bold-faced lie. State Department indifference to the interests of ordinary Americans who travel is a policy decision that paints a target on all our backs.

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