AHATA will no longer remain silent
A.M. Digital
11/10/2005

In a conversation with Jeff Lesker, Chairman of the Board of the Aruba Hotel & Tourism Association, he gave the point of view and the steps to be taken by the organization in connection with the Natalee Holloway case.

Considering the latest developments whereby even the Governor of Alabama, backed up by Natalee’s mother Beth Twitty, called for a boycott of Aruba, Lesker said that the time has come for AHATA and the Task Force to publish their version, which was not done before our of respect and consideration for Twitty.

But now things have gone too far and it cannot be permitted that innocent persons will become victims of an irresponsible act by the Governor of Alabama, according to Lesker.

He clearly said that diplomacy must continue and that the Government must attend to this case at the highest possible level to present the other side of the coin.

Jeff Lesker said that very soon the other side of the coin will be presented in the local as well as in the international press, which probably has already started, because he was waiting on confirmation to provide telephone interviews with international communication media.

At the moment when Alabama Governor called for a boycott of Aruba a lot of people, including those that were already fed-up with the actions of the Twitty family against Aruba as well as those that were still in favor of a continued friendly approach to Twitty, said that “this is as far as we go”, our people cannot be jeopardized by such a case where there is no proof whatsoever that the girl was murdered as is being said, and where everything else is pure speculation brought to life by the US media.

The AHATA Chairman certainly hopes that the case will come to an end soon and that the boycott intention is dealt with fast at the highest levels of Government in order to prevent that our people will become the innocent victims.

[English language original text]