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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In Mrs. Betancourt's rescue many lives were sacrificed and millions of pesos invested. She lies when she said she was not warned. She was a public figure and the media was behind her 24/7 . We knew she wanted to go to Caguan, but everybody knew it would be suicide. Many people like me thought this was just a move to gain votes in her presidential campain. Absolutely everybody in Colombia knows where not to go. Some places are guerrilla territory. Others are narcotraficants' heaven. Others are regular criminals' dens. She cannot claim ignorance.
Now, you are assuming that we see the violence and injustice in our country as "acceptable". You cannot be more wrong. We do not like to live in these conditions, but we do not have the power to overcome them. Our government is corrupt, the rich families that have run the country for centuries are richer day by day, the middle class no longer exists and we have foreign powers profiting from the socio-political unestablity we live in.
We know who the Farc are and they would not exist if there were justice in Colombia and if their existence were not convenient to certain groups. We know the Farc kidnapped her, not the average Colombian. Therefore, we the citizens should not pay MORE for her mistake.
I do not think the people commenting here are villifying Mrs. Betancourt. She did what she did and she is not owning her responsibility. That is one characteristics of a villan
I am sorry that Ms. Betancourt must bear more abuse after her 6 plus years in conditions that those of us writing here cannot imagine. To know that some of your fellow country men and women have such hatred in their hearts for you must deeply hurt.
The accusations I've read have been addressed by Ms. Betancourt, but people hear what they want to hear and apparently the government of Colombia has been relentless in their misrepresentation of her. I encourage the accusers to open their minds and hearts. Really listen to her.
Ms. Betancourt thank you for writing the book and for sharing your journey in such a compelling and honest way. I have been greatly touched by you. I get why you called out your name instead of a number, I get why you had to come to forgiveness, I get why you attempted escape 4 times, and I get the profound idea of rest.