Higuita — The way of the scorpion
The documentary that finally tells the truth
For all the tarnished images that I have had of Higuita that the media has painted this documentary is an eye-opener. In fact when I go back and read on Wikipedia what exactly happened it makes more sense now and how wonderful to know that the kidnapped victim (a girl at the time of her kidnapping), now a mother of a grown-up son is still in touch with Higuita. Not all kidnap stories end this way. Even the drug lords only trusted Higuita to bring the ransom money and take back the kidnapped girl back to her parents. Sadly the government arrest Higuita for not informing them about the kidnapping and worst of all when he accepted a reward (though he denied it) for his favour from the kidnapped girl’s folks. In the documentary Higuita even confesses that he would do it again if needed to help someone.
It was also a nice blast into the past. Columbia thrashing current world cup champion Argentina 5–0 in one of the opening matches of the world cup is something you have to replay to believe. Sadly Higuita wasn’t part of that team having been excluded for not being fit due to his arrest. Our heroes of the world cups from yesteryears, Valderrama, Roger Milla from Cameroon are all there in this documentary.
Like Arnie and Maradona, Higuita has an affair too but the most unusual part of the story was that his family lets the illegitimate child be a part of their family and they bring her up together with Higuita’s other children. How beautiful!
Definitely worth a watch if you are a football (soccer) fan from the 80’s and 90’s.
