The trauma suffered by a Spanish couple kidnapped in the northeast of Colombia came to a fairy tale ending on Sunday, when recently-rescued Angel Sanchez publicly proposed to girlfriend Maria Concepcion Marlaska.
Video footage shows Sanchez outside the Spanish ambassador’s residence asking Marlaska, “Do you want to be my wife? Do you want to marry me?” Surrounded by cameras and microphones, the proposal was met by a “yes” from the 42-year-old, while onlookers applauded the newly-engaged pair.
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The couple, who initially refused to speak to the press, also shared details of the kidnapping ordeal, which saw them held hostage for 29 days since May 17 and spoke of looking forward to going home.
“We parked to go for a swim when a young guy appeared, dark skinned and wearing a cap, and told us, ‘Hey, can you take us to town?’” Sanchez told reporters of their capture.
“[The man] got really close to the car and immediately took out a gun, a revolver, and pointed it at me,” the 49-year-old continued.
In spite of the kidnapping, the couple asked others not to “be alarmed” by what had happened to them and maintained that Colombia is a “wonderful country” to visit.
The pair, who were finally rescued on Saturday evening, said they were eager to go home and get on with normal life again in an attempt to put the difficult ordeal behind them.