Antigua and Barbuda, Denise Charles reunited with her family on the Caribbean island after 32 years

teleSUR English

Thanks to the joint effort of the governments of Antigua and Barbuda and Venezuela, Denise Odelia Charles, missing for 32 years, was reunited with her family on May 20. Journalist Garfield Burford shares the story. teleSUR

Transcript

00:00And thanks to the joint effort of the governments of Antigua and Barbuda in Venezuela,

00:05Antiguan women who had been missing for more than three decades

00:10was reunited with her family on Tuesday.

00:13More on the story with journalist Garfield Beaufort.

00:16The moment a private jet from Venezuela arrived at DC World International Airport

00:21carrying an Antiguan citizen who had been missing and presumed dead.

00:25After 32 years and five months, a return to Antigua fit for a fairytale for Denise Odelia Charles.

00:37Charles is welcomed by Prime Minister Honorable Gaston Brown,

00:40as well as Minister for Social and Urban Transmission Honorable Roden Turner

00:44and other officials at VC World International Airport on Tuesday morning.

00:48Thanks to God, Perth and you and my family.

00:53Pleasure. Pleasure. Good to have you back home.

00:56And Mr. Raul and the help from Venezuela.

00:59Minister, thank you again, man.

01:01And I'll give the president my best.

01:04Yeah, good, good.

01:05Absolutely, thank you.

01:06Nice, nice, nice. Blessings. Yeah, blessings. Good, good.

01:09The government of Antigua and the Barbuda had sponsored a trip to Venezuela

01:12for her brother Terence Charles and a nephew Tishon Watson

01:15to accompany Denise Charles back to Antigua.

01:18Back on Antiguan soil, the tears flowed.

01:20When I was still in the airport, when you go for her,

01:22on the other side of Venezuela, she gave me a big hug

01:26and tears come to my eyes to see my sister again.

01:30I go to the bathroom and I saw her and I pretend not.

01:34So I tell her, look, let me go to the bathroom because I actually can't believe.

01:41So I tell her, you wait for the bathroom. I'm going to the bathroom.

01:45I went down first.

01:47Guys, so when I come out, let me come to the bathroom.

01:50And we'll talk to the picture.

01:51I spat her.

01:52She spat me too.

01:54Yeah.

01:55So I go for the bathroom, let's go.

01:58She's coming to my arms, help me, squeeze me.

02:01It's so emotional.

02:03So she's happy to be home because it's her family daily.

02:12The expressions of gratitude for making this possible also flowed.

02:16And I got the Prime Minister and that was it.

02:19He was so kind.

02:21Yes.

02:22The Prime Minister is a good man.

02:24Happy year.

02:25And, you know, he has some people that, you know, talk on the negative side of it and so on.

02:35And maybe they didn't really believe that this was actually true.

02:43And I have to say, thanks to the Prime Minister.

02:47He's a good man.

02:48Right.

02:49He did a very good job.

02:51Good job.

02:52And he worked on the situation really quickly.

02:57The circumstances surrounding Charles ending up in Venezuela and being missing for so long are not yet clear.

03:02Overwhelmed with emotion, Tuesday was determined not the best time to go into those details.

03:07Those are expected to come in the days and weeks ahead.

03:10Instead, she and her family are immersed in the tearful, surreal reunion.

03:15Her sister, Joycelyn, was the one who saw her profile on social media and reached out.

03:19I'm looking for her all the time.

03:21Then, you know, I just go in my profile, messenger, and I found her.

03:26See, and I checked.

03:28Paul didn't get an answer.

03:30Then I went in the profile again.

03:32And then I see the pastor.

03:34I used to be a pastor.

03:36The pastor.

03:37That took me to church.

03:38And I said, you know, I said, look, yes, I said it.

03:42Wow.

03:43The connection made, it was over to the authorities in St. John's and Caracas to get to work on the arrangements.

03:49Charles from Grace Farm is now fluent in Spanish.

03:52Having taught herself over ten of those years, she was in the Bolivarian Republic.

03:56I learned Spanish.

03:57And now I talk more Spanish than English.

04:03How are you feeling Spanish?

04:04How are you?

04:05Good, thank you.

04:06Are you happy?

04:07Outside, another group of her family was overjoyed to have seen her, embraces, and words fitting

04:13for 32 years of absence.

04:15Prime Minister Honorable Gaston Brown is delighted to have played a part in making this possible.

04:24We're elated.

04:25And we're just happy to accommodate her.

04:27Our government would have intervened and we would have collaborated with the Governor of

04:32Venezuela.

04:33President Maduro has been extremely benevolent in making the transportation available.

04:39We organized a special charter to fly her to Latiga, herself and her family, who we sponsored

04:46to travel to Venezuela to repatriate her here.

04:49So we're very pleased to have her back and we make sure we put the necessary steps in place

04:53to have her fully integrated or reintegrated with our society.

04:58In fact, we have guaranteed her job.

05:00We're quite sure that she can assist us in many areas.

05:03She also shares language skills.

05:08She speaks Spanish-friendly.

05:11So that in itself is a nice thing to do.

05:13A similar message from Minister for Social and Urban Transmission Honorable Roden Turner.

05:18It's a message of hope.

05:20Because I know there are other persons who have gone missing in Antigua Mbappé.

05:24And to see a family member return home after 32 years in five months, it's a miracle.

05:32We just have to thank God for something like that.

05:34And the Ministry of Social Transformation, we will be taking an active role in providing

05:39some assistance to the family and to the lady to reintegrate back into Antigua Mbappé society.

05:47As the bus leaves with the Denise and members of her family, a new chapter begins.

05:52The

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