Alabama Governor Calls for Boycott of Aruba

Alabama Governor Bob Riley has called for a travel boycott of the Caribbean island of Aruba on behalf of missing teen Natalee Holloway and requested his fellow governors to join him in making the boycott nationwide.

"There are no other alternatives to get Aruban authorities to take this as seriously as they should," Riley said.

The action by the Alabama Governor, with members of Natalee's family by his side, came after a week of frustration for the family in dealing with officials in Aruba about the investigation into the missing teen's case.

On Nov. 1, Natalee's father Dave Holloway and a search team left the island when they could not get the investigator in Aruba to request equipment they needed from the FBI. The equipment was ready and available, but could not be used unless Aruba requested it.

Two days later, Natalee's mother, Beth Twitty, returned to Aruba and tried to meet with the prosecutor and the lead investigator in the case and both refused to meet with her. Twitty returned to the U.S. without being able to speak with either official.

The Gloves Come Off

The following day, both Dave Holloway and Beth Twitty, and their spouses, signed a letter mailed to the Attorney General of Aruba asking that the prosecutor and the investigators on the case be replaced, claiming they had botched the investigation from the beginning.

The letter to the Attorney General was the first action Natalee's parents had taken in unison in connection with finding their daughter. Up until they both signed that letter, all of their efforts had been independent of each other.

Dave Holloway concentrated his efforts on searching for his daughter, while Twitty spent her efforts keeping the story in the news media.

Meanwhile, Aruban investigators said they want to interview the missing teen's former classmates in Mountain Brook, Alabama about her disappearance.

See Also:
Ala. Governor Urges Aruba Boycott
Alabama Governor Calls for Aruba Boycott
Calling For a Shake-Up in the Holloway Case
Natalee Holloway's Classmates to be Questioned Again

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Background:
Natalee Holloway: Missing in Aruba