Free in jail in Cancun!? - November 1, 2009

This is the story of a crime unfolding. It is the story of a young man, Free Bronkhorst, who went to Mexico for some fun and is now in prison, after being attacked and falsely accused by his attackers, of attacking them. This is a story that could happen to any one of us. ....

Since we opened this site in October 2009, the Ferrat Mancera brothers of Cancun have started a site called www.freeingFree.com, which bears almost exactly the same name as our site, www.freeingFree.net, but which provides misinformation about the events that led to Free’s incarceration. This name theft was deliberately done to confuse people who are searching for our site. It is telling that the Ferrat Mancera brothers use the term “freeing Free” to cover up the real purpose of their scheme, which is to keep Free in jail for as much time they and their cronies deem necessary for their purposes. What these purposes precisely were we could not fathom, but the fact that they brought their story under a dot com extension, suggests financial gain is their primary concern.

Initially we didn’t know what this gain might be. But the total picture became clear after Ivan Ferrat retracted, on December 21, the “pardon” he had “given” a week earlier to Free, because otherwise he would have to pay his hospital costs out of his own pocket. The purpose of accusing Free to have attacked Ivan with intent to hurt, was essential to getting him imprisoned, a first and necessary step to have him condemned afterwards and hence to collect the insurance money. This ploy would not have succeeded if Ivan would have been just another citizen. But his brother Alain Ferrat used his political power to have Free put in jail in record time and is clearly intent on keeping him there and lobbying for the judge to find him guilty. It does not matter if Free is kept in jail unjustly, as long as they collect their money.

To us it matters. Free’s dream of building a life as a hotel manager on the coast of Yucatan lies shattered in the hallway where some young punks attacked him. We, his family and friends, together with the people of Cancun who believe in justice, won’t waver in our resolve to obtain his release and return to Free his life and the possibility to dream.

Please support our campaign to obtain Free's release and to secure safer vacationing conditions for all of us