Natalee Holloway

Natalee Holloway (born October 21, 1986) is a U.S. teenager from Mountain Brook, Alabama, a suburb of Birmingham, whose disappearance on May 30, 2005 during a post-graduation trip in Aruba caused citizen concern in Aruba along with a media sensation in the United States.

Criticism of the investigation

The Twittys and their supporters, have criticized the lack of progress by Aruban police. Aruban officials blame a lack of understanding of Dutch judicial procedures employed on the island for much of the tension. Various uncorroborated theories alleging a cover-up have so far not resulted in any official response.

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Alabama Governor Bob Riley and U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL) pressured Aruban authorities to accept more assistance from the FBI. On July 22, Aruban Prime Minister Nelson Oduber wrote to Attorney General Karin Jannsen asking island police to give the FBI complete access to their dossiers on the investigation. On the same day, during a special session for state budgets, the Alabama House of Representatives passed a resolution asking Alabama residents not to visit Aruba until the case is resolved. special session The Alabama Senate never took up the issue.

Related Topics:
Bob Riley - Richard Shelby - FBI - July 22 - Nelson Oduber

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Jug Twitty wrote Governor Bob Riley on August 4 discouraging an official boycott. http://www.scaredmonkeys.com/?p=1393. As tensions heightened between the Holloway family and Aruban investigators in September, renewed calls for a boycott of the island have been aired by supporters on American television. Beth Twitty again asked Americans not to travel to Aruba: "I've never called for a boycott, but I am... I am... I am pleading with people to please consider not traveling to Aruba and Dutch.. other Dutch territories until Natalee is returned to me." http://www.scaredmonkeys.com/?p=1586#more-1586

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In response to reaction to the Holloway case, members of the Aruba Hotel and Tourism Association, the Aruba Tourism Authority, the Aruba Hospitality & Security Foundation, the Aruban Chamber of Commerce and government figures, including Public Relations Representative Ruben Trappenberg, formed a "Strategic Communications Task Force" to respond collectively to unfounded portrayals of the island. The group publishes the weblog Aruba Truth, issues press releases, and sends representatives to appear in news media. They have joined the Aruban government in decrying the calls for a boycott of the island.

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