Presumed dead for over 3 decades, Antiguan woman returns home from Venezuela

Antigua and Barbuda: An Antiguan woman who had been missing for over 32 years and previously presumed dead has been reunited with her family members in Antigua and Barbuda. There were scenes of unbridled joy at the VC Bird International Airport on Tuesday morning as Denise Odelia Charles was welcomed home.  

The woman was given a warm welcome at the Antiguan airport as Prime Minister Gaston Browne along with Minister for Social and Urban Transmission Rawdon Turner themselves went to receive her and make her feel welcomed in the island nation. The Prime Minister also announced that a job will be provided to the woman in Antigua.  

According to the information, she initially reconnected with relatives who travelled to Caracas, Venezuela, with support from the Government of Antigua and Barbuda, to assist in facilitating her return home. Her brother Terren Charles and nephew Tishon Watson flew to Venezuela to bring her back home.  

While sharing the emotional experience, the brother said, “She gave me a big hug when she saw me at the airport.” He also expressed his gratitude to the Prime Minister for facilitating the trip and making it possible for her to come back home.  

In an update on Monday afternoon, Prime Minister Gaston Browne shared photographs of the woman who was seen joyfully interacting with one of her relatives in Caracas. He also lauded the Venezuelan President and said, "My friend, President Maduro, has benevolently authorized a private charter to fly her and family members back to Antigua tomorrow (Tuesday)." 

Details surrounding her disappearance and reappearance remain largely a mystery, but what is clear is that after more than three decades of silence and uncertainty, she is alive. The long-lost woman was recently located in Caracas, where emotional scenes unfolded as family members from Antigua traveled to meet her for the first time in decades. 

President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela authorized a private charter flight to bring her and her accompanying relatives back to Antigua.

The flight landed on Tuesday and marked the end of a 34-year-old chapter. “God is good,” one relative said simply, summing up what many across the island feel as they await her return.