Geoffrey Jackson
Sir Geoffrey Holt Seymour Jackson was a British diplomat and writer.Background and earlier career
Jackson received his education at Bolton School and Emmanuel College, Cambridge. He entered the Foreign Service in 1937 and served in Beirut, Cairo, Baghdad, Basra, Bogotá and Berne before being appointed Minister to Honduras in 1956. The next year he was promoted to ambassador when the post was upgraded. He was Consul-General at Seattle for the north-western US states 1960–64 and Minister in Toronto 1965–69.In 1969 he became ambassador in Uruguay. He was kidnapped by Tupamaros guerrillas in 1970, enduring a captivity of nine months. Released in September 1971, he retired at the end of 1972 with the honorary rank of Deputy Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign Office, having served for 35 years in the diplomatic service, of which 31 had been spent abroad.Kidnapping
Jackson was kidnapped by Tupamaros guerrillas on 8 January 1971 in Montevideo, Uruguay. He was released after eight months of captivity, on 9 September 1971. Three decades later it became known that Edward Heath, the British prime minister at that time, negotiated a deal for Jackson's release. ₤42,000 was paid for his release, which was brokered by Salvador Allende, the Chilean president who enjoyed contacts with the Tupamaros rebels.Later life
He served for five years, 1976–80, on the BBC's General Advisory Council and was chairman of a BBC advisory group on the social effects of television.Honours
Geoffrey Jackson was appointed CMG in the New Year Honours of 1963 and knighted KCMG in 1971 after his release from captivity.Books
*
