40 days in the jungle
E-book, Czech
40 days in the jungle
An exceptional, thrilling story of survival in the wilderness that reveals the struggles and shows the resilience of the indigenous people of the Colombian Amazon.
In June 2023, four indigenous children were found in the Colombian Amazon after surviving a small plane crash deep in the jungle. All three adults on board died in the crash, and the children managed to survive alone for forty-five days in one of the world's most inhospitable regions. For weeks, the Colombian public tensely followed the extensive search, accompanied by indigenous stories of evil forest spirits and the unconventional tactics of the huge search party. Despite several clear signs that the children had survived, most people, after several weeks of unsuccessful searching, began to lose hope that the children would be found alive.
However, thirteen-year-old Lesly Jacobombaire Mucutuy did not give up.
The book, Forty Days in the Jungle, tells the story of how the eldest sister managed to care for her three younger siblings and how they survived for forty-five days in the most savage wilderness, while being diligently searched for by several special units of the Colombian army along with brave indigenous volunteers. Throughout the narrative, the reader is immersed in indigenous mythology full of spirits, shamans and psychedelic potions, which ultimately played a key role in the successful discovery of the children and made this rescue mission unlike any other.
Experienced journalist Mat Youkee has tried to shed light on why the children were travelling from the jungle and has traced the family's turbulent story before the crash and for several months after the children's rescue. His findings reveal the painful history of the Amazonian peoples, not just in Colombia. Lesly and her siblings were victims even before they stepped on the plane.
Mat Youkee has lived in Colombia since 2010, where he works as a freelance investigator and journalist. He focuses on mapping indigenous rights issues in Colombia, Panama, Chile and Argentina for The Guardian. His articles have also appeared in The Economist, The Telegraph, The Financial Times, Americas Quarterly, and other local and international media.
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