Ingrid Betancourt: "Even Silence Has An End"
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2010-09-23/ingrid-betancourt-even-silence-has-end
Ingrid Betancourt was campaigning for presidency in Colombia in 2002, when she was taken hostage by the FARC, a brutal terrorist organization. A personal account of six years of captivity in the Colombian jungle and the remarkable rescue that reunited her with her family.
Guests
Ingrid Betancourt
Colombian politician and presidential candidate, taken hostage by the FARC in 2002 and held until her rescue in July 2008. Her new book is "Even Silence Has an End: My Six Years of Captivity in the Colombian Jungle."
Comments
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Please,ask her why she sue the Colombian government after her release?. Ask her why more than three hostages said that she was selfish, arrogant and even putted their lives in risk?. Ask her why now 94% of Colombians do not care what is she doing and hate her?.
In a interview with Vanity Fair she was asked "to whom to you give credit to your freedom?" The first name that entered her mind was Hugo Chavez. Why?
Why does she blame the Colombian government for her capture? She brought it on herself when she decided to go after being warning NOT to enter that zone.
There might be a reason why 99% of Colombians dont like her. Her statements are dillusional. She put thousands of lives on the line for her childish decision to go to a guerilla territory. Docens of people died for her, which her response to that was to sue the government. She has no place on your show, there are thousands of soldiers and civilians that have gone through worse and not because of their wrong decisions like her. Please try to keep her in context she will lie to make ppl feel sorry for her.
Mrs. Betacourt misrepresents the Colombian government and its people when she says Colombians think she deserved everything she went through in the jungle. No one deserves to go through such horrible experience, but she knew what the FARC were terrorist, she was warned by the government and by the police not to continue her journey -to the point that the police didn't allow their own people to go with her into this hostile territory- and she didn't listen.
She acted irresponsibly. One cannot walk into the mouth of the wolf and then blame someone else for one's misfortunes.
Dear Dianne,
I like you to know that your guest today is part of the social and economic elite that have keep the hard working people of Colombia from improving their lives, she belongs to that part of society in Colombia that see the rest of Colombians as people to exploit, that assumes that she is special and that they should be thankful for her presence.
She benefited from her elite status all her life including the decision of the Colombian Government under pressure from the French and other governments to risk the lives of Colombian Patriots to rescue her from the narco-terrorist supported by Chaves and his regime just so she could step on them one more time
Dear Diane,
What a shame in wasting one of your wonderful shows with this person that represents the worst of us as Colombians. A shame because as a woman she comes from a lineage of prostitutes (mother, sister, and herself have destroyed marriages along their lives). A shame because as an inept politician, was never willing to fulfill her promises to her constituents. After being rescued by our military, using tax-payers money, she is willing to sue the Colombian government for nothing more than selfish reasons.
Please let her know that we "Colombians" ask her to stop using our name to promote her book and other agendas. We wish her well, but nothing else.
And please Diane, be more selective of your guests, there is no need for you to be used in this way.
Ms. Betancourt, We colombians prayed for your life while you were kidnaped. We cried with your mother when she finally got you into her arms, we laughed with your kids when they huged you. I hope that you know that. Colombians are happy for you, for your life and for the fact that this nightmere ended for you and your relatives, specially your children. As you said in the interview "The only responsible for your abtuction were the Farc", then, why did you decide to sue the colombian government?, the
"Operación Jaque" was not enough for you?" did not you say it was perfect? Why did you do that Ms. Betancout? I, as a colombian feel betrayed, we did not ask you to go to Caguan, we did not kidnaped you.
My questions are: where did the name of the book come from? and has Ingrid returned to politics? If so in what capacity, if not, why? Thanks, Melissa
I'm listening to this interview, and I can NOT believe the cynicism of this woman, by saying she wansn't warned by the government about the danger of being abducted by the guerrilla; the FARC itself told her and told everybody in Colombia that they would do that if she made that trip, everyone knew about this, but she didn't matter, she was stubborn and arrogant because somehow she believed that just because she was Ingrid Betancourt nothing would ever happened to her... her abduction was her own fault, and everyone in Colombia knows it. I just hope that people around the world who are listening to this show have the intelligence to search for the real facts.
Please ask the guest to comment on her father's influence in shaping her political views and aspirations. A generation of Colombians owe their higher education to his program ICETEX.
How do you propose to stop hating the Farc, when they are kidnapping, torturing and killing our people in the name of social justice and are at the same time finanacing themselves by narco traffic?
Thank you for this opportunity. Could you please as Ms. Betancourt how many people are still hostages and if she is participating in any efforts to free them? Thank you.
where did the name of the book come from?
I agree 100% with all the comments. Diane can you ask Ingrid why is she stating that her husband wasn't supportive thru her ordeal. He was very supportive always carrying around a BIG picture of her and reminding Colombians that she needed to be free.
As a Colombian I am really sorry for Ingrid and what she went through, but hearing her book campaing in the USA I can only say that she is really off reality. Ingrid should take more time to be able to get back to reality and use future opportunities like this to the benefit of Colombia and not her own financial interest.
Diane thaks,for let the people, the cain of person Mss Betancourt ; Ingrid are, you not a hero ! you deserve this situation happen to you, I don' trust your tears you full of sh.................
My soldiers and my people fight for you and you don't care about this you just care about you, you have no idea of the word " loyalty "
I hoppe you enjoy live the rest of you life in France or better farway of Colombia because you are no Colombian.
Have a good Day.
I have rarely been so moved by a guest on your show. What a powerful testimony to forgiveness and human endurance with God's help. Regardless of politics, it is clear that Ms. Bettancourt's experiences have produced in her a beautiful spirit. Thank you for allowing us to share in that with you.
I agree with most comments, and I wish she would go back to her silence. She mentioned suing the govt. of Colombia for the suffering her relatives sustained, well that suffering was caused solely by her own actions. I believe the only three actions she should do at this moment are as follow 1. Apologize to the govt of Colombia and its people for all she has said and attempted to do 2. Put a lid on other comments (unless they are praises) regarding her rescue 3. Do something to help free the thousand of other hostages that have not seen their families.
Dear Ingrid,
Unfortunately anger and fear are louder than love and compassion, and people that make such angry comments win the shouting match. However I know you can feel in your heart the support of so many Colombians like myself, who normally do not write in these forums, but who have seen and admired your courage, your conviction and your need to change things for the better even if it meant putting your own life at risk.
I am sure the spiritual lessons from this journey will be the topic of many books to come. You have chosen a hard path, thank you for sharing your experiences with us.
Keep looking inside, because that makes us look inside too.
I cannot believe the cynicism of this woman!
She is the one responsible for her kidnapping. Everybody told her not to go and guess what? She went straight into the wolf’s mouth! . All Colombians know that but she went ahead with her usual stubbornness. Additionally, she and her family went and still continue talking wrong things about our country. Nobody in Colombia believes her or her comments. PLEASE WORLD DO NOT HEAR THAT CRAZY WOMAN!!!
Do not loose the time in you nice show talking with her. It is a waste of time!
No personal behavior merits the torture Ms Betancourt endured.
Ungrateful Ingrid:
I rather spend my hard-earned money and buy "Ingrid of the Jungle" as I believe that's the true version of your "ordeal". Can't wait for the translated version from French-Spanish or French-to English.
Unfortunately, you had to suffer the abominations you suffered in the jungle to make you at least somehow humble, and unfortunately, you lost most of it when you regained your liberty. Kidnapping is a horrible crime, and no one should be subject to it. I'm really sorry you, and all kidnapped people had to endure it. But lets be real, you didn't follow the advise of the military and police not to continue into the wolf's mouth. You went ahead by your own decision against all better judgment, and the inevitable happened. No, it's not right and it shouldn't be that way; but you, I and most Colombians knew that those "heroic" actions were going to have nasty consequences, and you suffered them. Now, where is your personal responsibility in admitting, that it was only by your own decision that the kidnap happened? You were not a real victim, it's not like you were traveling and were hijacked in one of the many busy roads of our country (like it happened to thousands of Colombians), you knew where you were going and decided to assume the risk, now assume the responsibility and stop holding the government responsible for your pain and suffering and the one of your family. No one deserves to live what you did, but that was the risk you took when you decided to continue into the jungle, accept that, and your life will certainly heal a lot faster.
I can understand the plight of the Columbian people,'but I do feel very badly for Ingrid, and I wish folks would try to be more sympathetic. She didn't know she would be kidnapped, or she wouldn't have gone there!
Ok. I will try to get this up on facebook this time- regarding Ingrid Betancourt's six year imprisonment in Columbia, author of, 'Even Silence has an End'.
This interview and self-serving book are sickening. This lady had an experience hundreds of other less well-connected people with less well-oiled PR machines lack, so they are forgotten. There is nothing new or even inspirational in her character. Spare me this sappy manner.
I can see that obviously Ms. Betancourt was involved in politics, but does this make her"selfish" or "evil" as many of the comments seem to claim? After all, she herself was living in extreme conditions for OVER 6 YEARS-some of the remarks seemed rather harsh considering what she undeniably went through and reveal the you also have political (and as we all do to some extent) "selfish" agendas. In terms of the people who she didn't get along with or annoyed when she was imprisoned, she is clearly a strong personality which makes this situation difficult, it is true. However who would not have some trouble and conflicts surviving in a cage with other people for so long ?
As a Colombian It hurts me profundly that this woman is getting all of this attention... first of all she is and has always been an media attention junky, she is delusional, she is not french, she married a french man, who's divorcing her now, she went to the jungle voluntarely, ignoring all de advise given by the army and the shocking reaction af all the Colombian people... and then when she is rescued, after making the life of the other people who were kidnapped with her an absolute hell.... she decides to sue the people who put their lives in danger to rescue her... at the expense of all the taxpayers in Colombia... it surprises me that someone who claims" I adore Colombia" would do that... she is NOT welcome in Colombia and was declared PERSONA NON GRATA by millions of Colombians...
I wish her the best luck with the book and hope it gives her the millions she so desperate needs for her, her kids her mother, who is also not welcome in Colombia and her sister! so they can have the lavish life style the have always wanted and haven't been able to provide with honest work!
The comments below are astounding. Even if this woman was selfish, egotistical, a self-serving politician AND a prostitute (really?, I mean, really? that's the best you could do?), there is a much larger and important question here that deserves some consideration. Why is it acceptable that there are parts of the country where one "cannot go", that is completely beyond the reach of the government and law? Why is it acceptable to, at least many of the commenters here, and if one would believe their sentiments, many Columbians, say that a person deserves 6 year of torture and imprisonment, as a consequence of ANYTHING short of their willing participation in the same group? What about all of the other people who have been the targets of FARC, including law enforcement, government ministers, missionaries and other who are kidnapped for ransom? Are they all self-serving prostitutes too?
All of this outrage should be channeled toward the real criminals here, FARC and those who give its existence and methods credence when they minimize such atrocities as those suffered by Ms. Betancourt by villifying the victim.
Dear mariekristina, I believe you are missreading some of the posted comments. I did not read anybody saying that Mrs. Betancourt deserved what she went through. Yes, some comments got passionate and maybe personal, but nobody is happy for what happended to this lady. Now, the main outcry here has to do with the ungrateful response of Mrs. Betancourt at suing the government and expecting an indemnity. The money she would receive would not come from the president's or the senators' pockets. It would come from the average Colombian who is struggling with the global recession in an even worst way than the average American.