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'{{Multiple issues | BLP sources=August 2010 | POV=August 2010 | cleanup=November 2009 |original research = August 2010}} {{Spanish name|Betancourt|Pulecio}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Ingrid Betancourt Pulecio | image = Ingrid Betancourt Pulecio.jpg | imagesize = 200px | caption = Ingrid Betancourt in Pisa, Italia 2008 | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1961|12|25}} | birth_place = [[Bogotá, D.C.]], [[Colombia]] | office = [[Senator of Colombia]] | term_start = 20 July 1998 | term_end = 23 February 2002 | office2 = Member of the [[Chamber of Representatives of Colombia]] | term_start2 = 20 July 1994 | term_end2 = 20 July 1998 | constituency2= [[Bogotá|Capital District]] | party = [[Oxygen Green Party]] | alma_mater = [[Paris Institute of Political Studies]] | nationality = [[Colombian people|Colombian]], [[French people|French]] | religion = [[Roman Catholic]] | profession = [[Political science|Political scientist]] | spouse = Fabrice Delloye <small>(1983—1990)</small><br/>[[Juan Carlos Lecompte]] <small>(1997-2011)</small> | children = Melanie Delloye Betancourt<br>Lorenzo Delloye Betancourt | website = }} '''Ingrid Betancourt Pulecio''' (born 25 December 1961)<ref name=BBCprofile>{{Cite news|title=Profile: Ingrid Betancourt |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7266587.stm |publisher=BBC News |date=2008-02-28 |accessdate=2008-04-08}}</ref> is a [[Colombia]]n politician, former [[Senate of Colombia|senator]] and anti-[[Political corruption|corruption]] activist. Betancourt was kidnapped by the [[Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia]] (FARC) on 23&nbsp;February 2002 and was rescued by Colombian security forces six and a half years later on 2&nbsp;July 2008. The rescue operation, dubbed [[Operation Jaque]], rescued Betancourt along with 14 other hostages (three [[United States|Americans]] and eleven Colombian policemen and soldiers).<ref>{{Cite news| first= | last= | coauthors= | title=Colombia: Betancourt, US hostages freed | date=2008-07-02 | agency=Associated Press | url =http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D91LTCOOI&show_article=1 | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2008-07-02 | language = }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news| first= | last= | coauthors= | title= Colombia hostage Betancourt freed | date=2008-07-03 | publisher=[[British Broadcasting Corporation]] | url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7486552.stm | work =BBC News | pages = | accessdate = 2008-07-03 | language = }}</ref> In all, she was held captive for 2,321 days after being taken while campaigning for the [[Colombian presidential election, 2002|Colombian presidency]] as a [[Oxygen Green Party|Green]]. She had decided to campaign in the former "zone of distention", after the military operation "Tanatos" was launched, and after the zone was declared free of guerrillas by the government.<ref name=autogenerated2>[http://edant.clarin.com/diario/2002/02/24/i-03215.htm Pastrana viajó a la región recuperada por el ejército<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Her kidnapping received worldwide coverage, particularly in France, where she also held citizenship due to her prior marriage to a French diplomat. She has received multiple international awards, such as the [[Légion d'honneur]]. In 2008 she received the Concord [[Prince of Asturias Award]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.elpais.com/articulo/internacional/Ingrid/Betancourt/premio/Principe/Asturias/lucha/libertad/elpepiint/20080911elpepiint_8/Tes |title=Ingrid Betancourt, premio Príncipe de Asturias por su lucha por la libertad |publisher=Elpais.com |date=2008-07-02 |accessdate=2009-05-16}}</ref> After her release, she was portrayed by some of her fellow captives as 'controlling and manipulative';<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/feb/26/ingrid-betancourt-colombia-hostage-farc-book | location=London | work=The Guardian | first=Ed | last=Pilkington | title=Former Farc captive Ingrid Betancourt vilified by fellow hostages in new book | date=2009-02-26}}</ref> others described her as a person with a caring and courageous nature.<ref>[http://www.wat.tv/video/pinchao-betancourt-e0rl_2f1rz_.html Vidéo Pinchao-betancourt de redactiontf1 (Actualité - redactiontf1) - wat.tv<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://www.librosaguilar.com/es/libro/infierno-verde-siete-anos-secuestrado-por-las-farc/ Infierno verde. Siete años secuestrado por las FARC de Luis Eladio Pérez y Darío Arizmendi - Sinopsis, descargas y comentarios | Aguilar España<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> One of them (Luis Eladio Perez) claims Betancourt saved his life.<ref>http://www.hoy.com.ec/noticias-ecuador/ingrid-me-salvo-la-vida-afirma-uno-de-los-rehenes-i-319467.html</ref> ==Biography== Betancourt was born in [[Bogotá]], [[Colombia]]. Her mother, [[Yolanda Pulecio]], a former beauty queen famous for sheltering abandoned children, served in [[Congress of Colombia|Congress]]<ref name=BBCprofile/> representing poor southern neighborhoods of Bogotá. Her father, [[Gabriel Betancourt]], was a minister of Education in both liberal and conservative governments (President Rojas Pinilla, President Lleras Restrepo), the assistant director of the [[United Nations]] Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), then ambassador of Colombia to [[UNESCO]] in Paris,<ref name=NYT/> and head of the education commission of the [[Alliance for Progress]] in [[Washington, D.C.]] under [[John F. Kennedy]]. The Betancourt family is one of Colombia's well-known families, descended from French Norman immigrants who arrived from [[Grainville-la-Teinturière]]. After attending private school in France, a [[boarding school]] in England as well as the Liceo Francés in Bogotá,<ref name=NYT>{{Cite news|first=Juan |last=Forero |title=Bogotá Journal; Corruption's Her Story; Colombia Doesn't Like It |url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9803E4D6153BF934A25752C1A9679C8B63 |publisher=The New York Times |date=2001-11-17 |accessdate=2008-04-08}}</ref> Betancourt attended the [[Paris Institute of Political Studies|Institut d'Études Politiques de Paris]] (commonly known as Sciences Po).<ref name=France24profile>{{Cite web|title=Ingrid Betancourt: A Profile |url=http://www.france24.com/en/20070212-ingrid-betancourt-special-coverage?q=node/42684 |publisher=France 24 |date=2007-12-24 |accessdate=2008-04-08}}</ref> After graduating, Betancourt married French citizen Fabrice Delloye in 1983,<ref>Betancourt, 35.</ref> and they had two children, Mélanie (born 1985) and Lorenzo (born 1988). Through her marriage she became a French citizen.<ref name=BBCprofile/> Her husband served in the French diplomatic corps, and the couple lived in multiple countries, including [[Ecuador]], the [[Seychelles]] and the [[United States of America]]. In the mid-1990s, Betancourt and Delloye divorced. Betancourt went back to Colombia and became advisor to the Minister of Finance, and later to the Minister of Foreign Trade. In 1994 She was elected to the House of Representatives on an anti-corruption ticket, and in 1998 she entered the Colombian Senate. Her children Melanie and Lorenzo moved to New Zealand to live with their father due to death threats stemming from her political activities.<ref name="sal">{{Cite news|first=Carol |last=Lloyd |title=Real female heroes: Ingrid Betancourt |url=http://www.salon.com/mwt/broadsheet/2008/04/04/ingrid_betancourt/index.html | publisher=Broadsheet at Salon.com |date=2008-04-04 |accessdate=2008-04-08}}</ref> She married Colombian advertising executive, [[Juan Carlos Lecompte]] in 1997. Their marriage ended soon after her 2008 rescue.<ref>http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/americas/07/10/betancourt.husband.ap/index.html Betancourt's husband admits icy reunion - CNN.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]{{Dead link|date=May 2009}}</ref> ==Political career== In 1989, [[Luis Carlos Galán]], a candidate for the Colombian presidency running on an anti-drug-trafficking platform, was assassinated. Betancourt's mother was a supporter of Galán and was standing immediately behind him when he was shot;<ref name=salon>{{Cite news|first=Damien |last=Cave |url=http://dir.salon.com/story/people/conv/2002/01/15/betancourt/ |title=Ingrid Betancourt |publisher=Salon.com |date=2002-01-15 |accessdate=2008-04-08}}</ref> this event motivated Betancourt to return to Colombia herself in 1989.<ref name=France24profile/> From 1990 onwards, she worked at the [[Ministry of Finance and Public Credit|Ministry of Finance]] and later at the [[Ministry of foreign trade]], from which she later resigned to enter politics.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Ingrid Betancourt |url=http://www.xoeditions.com/spip.php?auteur19&lang=en |publisher=XO Editions |accessdate=2008-04-09}}</ref> Her first campaign distributed [[condom]]s, with the motto that people should protect themselves against corruption as they do against HIV. She obtained support from the so-called "opinion voters", mostly young people and women. ===Election to the Chamber of Representatives, 1994=== She was elected to the [[Chamber of Representatives of Colombia|Chamber of Representatives]] in 1994 against all odds. During her term, she criticized the administration of President [[Ernesto Samper]], who was accused of corruption in the [[8000 Process]] scandal after accepting money from the [[Cali Cartel|Cali drug cartel]] for his electoral campaign. In 1997 Betancourt launched a political party, the [[Partido Verde Oxigeno]] (Green Oxygen Party) as an alternative to the traditional conservative and liberal parties. ===Elected Senator of Colombia, 1998=== Betancourt ran for Senator in the 1998 election, and the total number of votes she received was the largest number of any candidate in a senate election. During her time in elected office, death threats caused her to send her children to New Zealand, where they could live with their father.<ref name=salon/> That same year, the presidential election was ultimately won by [[Andrés Pastrana]]. Pastrana persuaded her to endorse him, and she campaigned for him under the agreement of an anti-corruption electoral reform to be adopted during his presidential term. The electoral reform was aborted due to strong pressures from the traditional parties and the lack of commitment from the government. Betancourt withdrew her support to the government and joined the opposition forces. ===Presidential candidate, 2002=== {{See also|Colombian presidential election, 2002}} {{cleanup|section|date=December 2007}} Ingrid Betancourt launched her presidential campaign on May 20, 2001 next to a statue of [[Simón Bolívar]] in Bogotá. She then began a [[campaign bus]] trip around the country to attend local community meetings.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Colombia: Former Senator Ingrid Betancourt launches presidential. Despite Betancourt difficulties in finding massive support (she scored with one digit number at the polls), her campaign arouse interest.She was considered an important figure in the political alliances that were emerging. campaign|url=http://www.lexisnexis.com:80/us/lnacademic/results/docview/docview.do?risb=21_T3476167599&format=GNBFI&sort=RELEVANCE&startDocNo=1&resultsUrlKey=29_T3476168502&cisb=22_T3476168501&treeMax=true&treeWidth=0&csi=10962&docNo=9 |publisher=BBC Worldwide Monitoring |date=2001-05-21 |accessdate=2008-04-09}}</ref> As part of her campaign for the presidency in 2002 Betancourt decided to visit the town of [[San Vicente del Caguán]], in the demilitarized zone (DMZ) to support its Mayor, a member of the Green Oxygen party. The peace process with the Farc had collapsed, the DMZ had been put to an end and Pastrana had launched 'operacion Tanatos' to reclaim the area. At the time Betancourt decided to go, the Colombian Army had been deployed in the area in an attempt to evict the Farc guerillas. President Pastrana had given them 48 hours to leave the territory and the deadline had expired.<ref name=autogenerated2 /> That same day President Pastrana attended a Press conference in the same place, San Vicente del Caguan, in order to prove with his presence that the Farc had fled, and that the military operation was a success. At the same time, the government ordered Betancourt's body guards to abandon the mission of escorting her to San Vicente del Caguan. Nonetheless, Betancourt was determined to go. Despite the refusal by the army to airlift her into San Vicente, she took the road. She was given a governmental vehicle. The government later claimed that Betancourt had signed a document to release the government from any responsibility on what could happen to her. Clara Rojas, Adair Lamprea and Betancourt have denied the existence of such document. The document has never been made public by any Colombian official.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Begg |first=Kirsten |title=Betancourt: I will not sue Colombia |url=http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/10745-betancourt-i-will-not-sue-colombia.html |publisher=Colombia Reports |date=2010-07-12 |accessdate=2010-09-10}}</ref> It seems that the Colombian government was keen to shift responsibilities, worried that it could be held responsible for having withdrawn her body guards before her abduction. The peace talks reached an impasse after more than three years of negotiations. From the beginning, the FARC would not agree to a truce for the duration of the negotiations, nor that the peace talks be overseen by different representatives of the international community. Though the DMZ was purported to be a "laboratory for peace", in practice the FARC continued its kidnapping activities, military attacks, purchasing of weapons, and even building roads and airstrips for trafficking [[narcotics]]. Critics considered the DMZ to have been turned into a safe haven in which the FARC imposed its will as law launching military attacks and acts of terrorism outside the DMZ before withdrawing back to it, in order to avoid direct confrontation with government armed forces. Also during this time, hundreds of civilians were kidnapped throughout different cities and rural areas of the country. They were then transported back to the DMZ where they were kept in cages, many of them having been kidnapped for economic [[extortion]], others for "political reasons". By the end of 2001 the Colombian government and public opinion (according to different polls) were growing impatient and discouraged at the situation. In February 2002, a [[turboprop]] plane flying from [[Florencia, Caquetá|Florencia]] to Bogotá—a distance of some {{convert|1000|km|mi|abbr=on}}—was [[Aircraft hijacking|hijacked]] in midair by FARC members. The plane was forced to land on a [[highway strip]] near the city of [[Neiva, Colombia|Neiva]] and then a member of the Colombian Congress was kidnapped. As a consequence, President Andrés Pastrana canceled the talks with the FARC and revoked the DMZ, arguing that the FARC had betrayed the terms of the negotiation and had used the DMZ to grow stronger in military and logistical capabilities. In a televised statement, the president expressed the government's intention of retaking the DMZ, informing that the military operation would begin at midnight, and also urged the FARC to respect the lives and the livelihood of those civilians still present in the DMZ. ==Autobiography== After her experience in the impeachment process against Colombian President E. Samper, Betancourt published her memoirs in French in March 2001 under the title ''La rage au cœur''.<ref name=NYT/> The memoir generated intense media coverage in France, where it was the number one best seller for four weeks and a best seller for another nine.<ref name=NYT/> It has since appeared in Spanish as ''La rabia en el corazón'',<ref>{{Cite web|title=La Rabia En El Corazon |url=http://www.amazon.com/dp/9586391868 |publisher=Amazon.com |accessdate=2008-04-08}}</ref> and in English as ''Until Death Do Us Part: My Struggle to Reclaim Colombia'' (2002).<ref name=Amazon>{{Cite web|title=Until Death Do Us Part: My Struggle to Reclaim Colombia |url=http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000C4SWUY |publisher=Amazon.com |accessdate=2008-04-08}}</ref> ==Kidnapping== Most candidates for political office visited the former DMZ. When Betancourt announced her trip, the government confirmed that a security escort would accompany her from Florencia to San Vicente del Caguan. When she landed at Florencia's airport, she was offered to be tranported to San Vicente del Caguan in a military helicopter. This offer was retracted later on, at the same time her body guards received the order to cancel their mission. President Pastrana and other officials explained they had turned down the helicopter ride offer, arguing that this meant rendering public resources to Betancourt's private political interests.{{Citation needed|date=July 2010}} Betancourt stated that as a presidential candidate, the government had, under constitutional provisions, the mandatory obligation to protect any Colombian running for presidency. When denied transport aboard a [[military helicopter]] that was heading to the zone, she then went back to the original plan to head into the DMZ via ground transport, together with [[Clara Rojas]], her [[campaign manager]] who was later named [[running-mate]] for the 2002 election, and a handful of political aides. On 23 February 2002, she was stopped at the last military checkpoint before going into the former DMZ. Military officers have reported they insisted in stopping her car{{Citation needed|date=September 2010}}and that Betancourt dismissed their warnings and continued her journey.{{Citation needed|date=September 2010}} This allegations contradicts the testimony of Adair Lamprea who was driving the car. He insists traffic was normal and that the military officers at the check point asked for their ID, but did not try to stop them. This is corroborated by the fact that on the FARC blockroad where Betancourt was kidnapped, other vehicles were stopped, including a Red Cross fourwheel drive car, and a bus, thus proving normal traffic. According to her kidnapper, the later captured [[Nolberto Uni Vega]], Betancourt ended up at a FARC checkpoint where she was kidnapped. Her kidnap was never planned beforehand, said the rebel.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://colombiareports.com/2008/04/15/betancourts-kidnapper-says-hes-sorry/ |title=Betancourt's kidnapper says he's sorry |date=15 April 2008 |publisher=Colombia Reports |accessdate=2008-04-15}} {{Dead link|date=September 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> Íngrid still appeared on the ballot for the presidential elections; her husband promised to continue her campaign. She achieved less than 1% of the votes. Betancourt stated in an [[NPR]] interview that the government did offer to fly her, but later reneged and took away her flight, and then took away her bodyguards. She also stated she was never warned that it would be dangerous to travel by road, that checkpoints let her through with no warning nor attempt to stop her, and that the government encouraged her to travel by road. <ref>{{Cite news |url=http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2010-09-23/ingrid-betancourt-even-silence-has-end |title=Diane Rehm Show: Ingrid Betancourt: "Even Silence Has An End" |date=23 Sept 2010 }}</ref> ===Uribe's initial policy=== Ever since the days of the Pastrana negotiations, when a limited exchange took place, the FARC have demanded the formalization of a mechanism for prisoner exchange. The mechanism would involve the release of what the FARC terms as its "political [[hostage]]s", currently numbering 23, in exchange for most jailed [[guerrillas]], numbering about 500. For the FARC, most of its other hostages, those held for extortion purposes and which would number at least a thousand, would not be considered subject to such an exchange. The newly elected [[Álvaro Uribe|Uribe]] administration initially ruled out any negotiation with the group that would not include a [[ceasefire]], and instead pushed for rescue operations, many of which have traditionally been successful when carried out by the police's [[GAULA]] anti-kidnapping group in urban settings, but not in the mountains and jungles where the FARC keeps most prisoners, according to official statistics and mainstream news reports.{{Citation needed|date=July 2010}} Relatives of Betancourt and of most of FARC's political hostages came to strongly reject any potential rescue operations, especially after the death of the governor of the [[Antioquia]] department, [[Guillermo Gaviria Correa|Guillermo Gaviria]], his peace advisor and several soldiers, kidnapped by the FARC during a peace march in 2003. The governor and the others were shot at close range by the FARC when the government launched an army rescue mission into the jungle which failed as the guerrillas learned of its presence in the area.{{Citation needed|date=July 2010}} ===Negotiations=== {{See also|Humanitarian exchange}} ====2002==== A day after Betancourt's kidnapping several non-governmental organizations ([[NGO]]) under the lead of [[Armand Burguet]] were organized in the [[European Union]] and around the world to establish an association or committee for the liberation of Ingrid Betancourt. The committee initially consisted of some 280 activists in 39 countries. One month after her kidnapping, her father Gabriel died of heart and respiratory trouble. ====2003==== In July 2003 [[Opération 14 juillet]] was launched, which both failed to liberate Betancourt and caused a scandal for the French government.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Bungle in the jungle |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2003/08/03/wjung03.xml&page=3 |publisher=The Telegraph |date=2003-08-03 |accessdate=2008-04-09 |location=London}}</ref> A video of Betancourt was released by FARC in August 2003.<ref name=France24profile/> ====2004==== {{BLP unsourced section|date=September 2009}} In August 2004, after several false-starts and in the face of mounting pressure from relatives, former [[Colombian Liberal Party|Liberal]] presidents [[Alfonso López Michelsen]] and Ernesto Samper (who was accused in the 'Proceso 8000' for financing his presidential campaign with drug funds) came out in favor of a [[humanitarian exchange]]. The Uribe government, seeming to have gradually relaxed its position, announced that it had given the FARC a formal proposal on 23 July, in which it offered to free 50 to 60 jailed rebels in exchange for the political and military hostages held by the FARC group (not including economic hostages, as the government had earlier demanded). The government would make the first move, releasing insurgents charged or condemned for rebellion and either allowing them to leave the country or to stay and join the state's reinsertion program. Then the FARC would release the hostages in its possession, including Ingrid Betancourt. The proposal would have been carried out with the backing and support of the French and Swiss governments, who publicly supported it once it was revealed. The move was signaled as potentially positive by several relatives of the victims and Colombian political figures. Some critics of the president have considered that Uribe may seek to gain political prestige from such a move, though they would agree with the project in practice. The FARC released a communiqué dated 20 August (but apparently published publicly only on 22 August) in which they denied having received the proposal earlier through the mediation of Switzerland as the government had stated. While making note of the fact that a proposal had been made by the Uribe administration and that it hoped that common ground could eventually be reached, the FARC criticized the offer because they believe that any deal should allow them to decide how many of its jailed comrades would be freed and that they should be allowed to return to the rebel ranks. On 5 September, what has been considered as a sort of FARC counter proposal was revealed in the Colombian press. The FARC proposed that the government declare a "security" or "guarantee" zone for 72 hours in order for official insurgent and state negotiators to meet face to face and directly discuss a prisoner exchange. Government military forces would not have to leave the area but to concentrate in their available garrisons, in a similar move to that agreed by the Ernesto Samper administration (1994–1998) which involved the group freeing some captured security forces. In addition, the government's peace commissioner would have to make an official public pronouncement regarding this proposal. If the zone were created, the first day would be used for traveling to the chosen location, the second to discuss the matter, and the third for the guerrillas to abandon the area. The government would be able to choose the location for the "security zone" from among one of the municipalities of [[Peñas Coloradas]], [[El Rosal, Cundinamarca|El Rosal]] or [[La Tuna]], all in [[Caquetá Department|Caquetá]] department, where the FARC had influence. It was speculated by retired military analysts{{Who|date=September 2009}} that the FARC could potentially set up [[land mines]] or other traps around local military garrisons while the zone is in place. The FARC proposal to arrange a meeting with the government was considered as positive by Yolanda Pulecio, Betancourt's mother, who called it a sign of "progress […] just as the (government) commissioner can meet with (right-wing) paramilitaries, why can't he meet with the others, who are just as terrorist as they are." ====2006==== In February 2006, France urged the FARC to seize the chance offered by a European-proposed prisoner swap, accepted by Bogotá, and free dozens it had held for up to seven years. Foreign Minister [[Philippe Douste-Blazy]] said it was "up to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) to show they were serious about releasing former Colombian presidential candidate Íngrid Betancourt and other detainees."{{Citation needed|date=September 2009}} In an interview with French newspaper ''[[L'Humanité]]'' in June 2006, [[Raul Reyes]], a leader of the FARC, said that Betancourt "is doing well, within the environment she finds herself in. It's not easy when one is deprived of freedom."<ref>{{Cite news|first=Arthur |last=Bright |title=Colombia's FARC willing to release hostages |url=http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0628/dailyUpdate.html?s=mesdu |publisher=The Christian Science Monitor |date=2006-06-28 |accessdate=2008-04-08}} {{Dead link|date=September 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> ====2007==== In May 2007, a captured [[Colombian National Police]] sub-intendant [[Jhon Frank Pinchao]] managed to escape from FARC captivity, claiming that Betancourt was being held in the same prison camp he had been in. On 18 May, President Álvaro Uribe reiterated his orders for the rescue by military means of Íngrid and other political figures. This happened after he interviewed a police officer captured by the FARC who ran away and told his story saying many of the prisoners were sick.{{Citation needed|date=September 2009}} Shortly after taking office in mid-May, [[French President]] [[Nicolas Sarkozy]] asked Uribe to release FARC's "chancellor" Rodrigo Granda in exchange for Betancourt.{{Citation needed|date=September 2009}} On 4 June, 30 incarcerated members from the [[FARC]] were liberated as a goodwill gesture by the government to pursue the liberation of Betancourt and others. However this did not result in her freedom.{{Citation needed|date=September 2009}} On 26 July 2007 Melanie Delloye, Betancourt's daughter, reported two French diplomats had been unsuccessful in confirming that she was still alive according to news agency [[EFE]]. President Sarkozy affirmed this to the press. However former hostage John Frank Pinchao (see above) repeated that Betancourt was alive, and had attempted to escape several times from the FARC camp where both were held, but had been recaptured and "severely punished".<ref name="bbc">{{Cite news| title = President vows to free Betancourt | publisher = BBC News | date = 2007-05-19 | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/6671667.stm | accessdate = 2007-11-14}}</ref> In August 2007, reporter Patricia Poleo, a [[Venezuela]]n national self-exiled in the United States, stated that Betancourt was being held in Venezuela and that her release was near. The government of Colombia expressed doubts about this information through its minister of foreign affairs [[Fernando Araújo Perdomo|Fernando Araújo]].<ref name=ElEspectador20070608> {{es icon}} {{Cite news | url=http://www.elespectador.com/elespectador/Secciones/Detalles.aspx?idNoticia=13455&idSeccion=18 | title=Gobierno dice no saber si van a liberar a Íngrid Betancourt | page= | pages= | publisher=[[El Espectador]] | author= | date=8 June 2007 | accessdate=2008-02-14 | quote= |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20080114064205/http://www.elespectador.com/elespectador/Secciones/Detalles.aspx?idNoticia=13455&idSeccion=18 <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archivedate = 2008-01-14}}</ref> Poleo also criticized [[Hugo Chávez]] for using this situation to improve relations with France after an impasse with the government of [[Jacques Chirac]] in which they refused to sell arms to Venezuela. A few days after Poleo's statements, President Chávez openly offered his services to negotiate between the FARC and the government in an effort to release those kidnapped, but denied knowing about the whereabouts of Betancourt.<ref>[http://www.eluniversal.com/2007/08/06/pol_ava_chavez-dice-desconoc_06A911311.shtml Chávez dice desconocer detalles sobre posible liberación de Betancourt] {{es icon}}</ref> On 11 November 2007, Chávez told French newspaper ''[[Le Figaro]]'' that he hoped to be able to show Sarkozy proof before their meeting on 20 November that Betancourt was alive,<ref>{{Cite web|title= Chavez : "J’ai de bonnes nouvelles pour Sarkozy" |url= http://www.lefigaro.fr/international/2007/11/15/01003-20071115ARTFIG00265-chavez-jai-de-bonnes-nouvelles-pour-sarkozy.php |publisher=Le Figaro |language=French |date=2007-11-15 |accessdate = 2007-11-15}}</ref> while on 18 November Chávez announced to the French press that he had been told by a FARC leader that she was still alive.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Créame que Betancourt está viva |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/spanish/latin_america/newsid_7100000/7100823.stm |publisher=BBC News |language=Spanish |date=2007-11-18 |accessdate=2008-04-08}}</ref> On 30 November, the Colombian government released information that they had captured three members of the urban cells of the FARC in Bogotá who had with them videos and letters of people held hostage by the FARC, including Betancourt. In the video Betancourt appears in the jungle sitting on a bench looking at the ground.<ref name=Bbc20071130> {{Cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7120398.stm | title=Colombia airs rebel hostage tapes | page= | pages= | publisher=BBC News | author= | date=30 November 2007 | accessdate=2008-02-14 | quote= }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.eltiempo.com/politica/2007-11-30/ARTICULO-WEB-NOTA_INTERIOR-3839057.html |title={{es icon}} El Tiempo: Gobierno reveló pruebas de supervivencia de secuestrados en poder de las Farc |publisher=Eltiempo.com |date= |accessdate=2009-05-16}} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> She "appeared extremely gaunt".<ref name = "sal"/> A letter intended for Íngrid's mother, Yolanda, which was found at the same time, was also published in several newspapers.<ref>{{Cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7123142.stm |title=Colombian hostage letter released |publisher=BBC News |date=2007-12-01 |accessdate=2008-04-09| quote=}}</ref> ====2008==== {{Further|Operation Emmanuel}} In 2008, Chávez, with the initial permission of the Colombian government and the participation of the [[International Red Cross]], organized humanitarian operations in order to receive several civilian hostages whose release had been announced by FARC. The first operation led to the release of Clara Rojas and [[Consuelo González]]. Emmanuel, Rojas son's born in captivity was freed previously after a stunning declaration from president Uribe, where it was discovered the infant was left in a foster home after being severely mistreated by the guerrillas. On 27 February a second operation was carried out, freeing four former members of the Colombian Congress. The released hostages were very concerned about the health of Betancourt. One described her as "exhausted physically and in her morale. […] Ingrid is mistreated very badly, they have vented their anger on her, they have her chained up in inhumane conditions." Another said that she has [[Hepatitis B]] and is "near the end". Nicolas Sarkozy said he is prepared to personally go to accept her release if necessary.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7268891.stm |title=Fears grow for Farc sick hostage |date=2008-02-28 |publisher=BBC News |accessdate=2008-04-09}}</ref> On 27 March, the Colombian government, with Uribe's support, offered to free hundreds of guerrilla fighters in exchange for Betancourt's release.<ref>{{Cite news|first=Hugh |last=Bronstein |title=Colombia offers to free rebels in Betancourt swap |url=http://www.reuters.com/article/homepageCrisis/idUSN28382580._CH_.2400 |publisher=Reuters |date=2008-03-28 |accessdate=2008-04-08}}</ref> On 31 March, Colombian news station Caracol quoted several sources saying Betancourt has stopped taking her medication and stopped eating. She was said to be in desperate need of a blood transfusion.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://colombiareports.com/2008/03/31/betancourt-refuses-to-take-medication/ |title=Betancourt refuses to take medication |date=31 March 2008 |publisher=Colombia Reports |accessdate=2008-02-31}} {{Dead link|date=September 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> On 2 April, Betancourt's son, Lorenzo Delloye, addressed the FARC and the President Uribe, to facilitate her release in order to prevent her death. He quoted the need for a blood transfusion in order to keep her alive saying that otherwise she may die in the next few hours.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gTRUMAs8-axuQb4X3lCvreBznrHAD8VPTAP80 |title=Son: Ingrid Betancourt Needs Transfusion |date=2 April 2008 |agency=Associated Press |accessdate=2008-04-02}}</ref> On 3 April, an envoy left for Colombia to try to make contact with Betancourt and many of the other captives, who have become ill after years of captivity in the jungle. After two days, the envoy, including a doctor, still hadn't heard from the FARC, but received orders from the French government to wait.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://colombiareports.com/2008/04/06/french-mission-still-has-not-heard-from-farc/ |title=French mission still hasn't heard from FARC |date=6 April 2008 |publisher=Colombia Reports |accessdate=2008-04-06}} {{Dead link|date=September 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> Five days after arrival of the envoy the FARC released a press note on the [[Bolivarian Press Agency]] website,<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.abpnoticias.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=166&Itemid=1 |title=Son: Comunicado del Secretariado del Estado Mayor Central de las FARC-EP sobre la misión médica francesa |date=8 April 2008 |publisher=ABP |accessdate=2008-04-08 |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20080411203830/http://www.abpnoticias.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=166&Itemid=1 |archivedate = April 11, 2008}}</ref> refusing the mission access to their hostages, because "the French medical mission was not appropriate and, moreover, was not the result of an agreement."<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://colombiareports.com/2008/04/08/farc-refuses-french-mission-access-to-betancourt/ |title=FARC refuses French mission access to Betancourt |date=8 April 2008 |publisher=Colombia Reports |accessdate=2008-04-08 |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20080415211603/http://colombiareports.com/2008/04/08/farc-refuses-french-mission-access-to-betancourt/ |archivedate = April 15, 2008}}</ref> Following the FARC's refusal, the French government called off the humanitarian mission and said [[Minister of Foreign Affairs (France)|foreign minister]] [[Bernard Kouchner]] would visit the region.<ref>{{Cite news|title=France calls off Colombia mission |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7337456.stm |publisher= BBC News |date=2008-04-08 |accessdate=2008-04-09}}</ref> On 2 July news reports stated that Betancourt and three American hostages were recovered (see Rescue below). Altogether, 15 hostages were freed, including 11 Colombian soldiers.<ref>{{Cite news| first= | last= | coauthors= | title=Betancourt 'rescued in Colombia' | date=2008-07-02 | publisher=BBC | url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7486552.stm | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2008-07-02 | language = }}</ref> [[Ministry of National Defense (Colombia)|Ministry of National Defense]] [[Juan Manuel Santos]] said all the former hostages were in reasonably good health,<ref>{{Cite news| first=Hugh | last=Bronstein | coauthors= | title=Colombia rescues hostage Ingrid Betancourt | date=2008-07-02 | publisher=Thomson Reuters | url =http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUKN0240478720080702?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews&rpc=22&sp=true | work =Reuters | pages = | accessdate = 2008-07-02 | language = }}</ref> although Betancourt stated she was [[torture]]d during her captivity.<ref>{{Cite news| title=Larry King Interview with Former FARC Hostage Ingrid Betancourt | url =http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0807/09/lkl.01.html | work =CNN | pages = | accessdate = 2008-07-02 | language = }}</ref> ==Rescue== {{Main|Operation Jaque}} On 2 July 2008, Minister of Defense Juan Manuel Santos called a press conference to announce the rescue of Betancourt and 14 other captives. The operation that won their release, codenamed "Jaque" (Spanish for "check" as in [[checkmate]]), included members of the Colombian military intelligence who infiltrated local FARC squads and the secretariat of FARC, according to Santos. The FARC members in charge of the hostages were persuaded to accept a request from headquarters to gather the hostages together, supposedly to be flown to FARC chief [[Alfonso Cano]]. Instead, they were flown by government personnel dressed as FARC members to [[San José del Guaviare]]. No one was harmed during the rescue. Three American [[Northrop Grumman]] contractors, [[Marc Gonsalves]], [[Keith Stansell]], and [[Thomas Howes]], were among those released.<ref name="Pluck">Romero, Simon, [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/03/world/americas/03colombia.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin "Colombia Plucks Hostages from Rebels' Grasp"], ''[[New York Times]]'', 3 July 2008. Retrieved on 7 July 2008.</ref> Colombian military agents spent months planting themselves within FARC, gaining the members' trust, and joining the leadership council. Other agents were assigned to guard the hostages. Using their authority in the group, the agents ordered the hostages moved from three different locations to a central area. From this point, the hostages, agents, and about 60 real FARC members made a 90-mile march through the jungle to a spot where, agents told the FARC members, an "international mission" was coming to check on the hostages. On schedule, an unmarked white helicopter set down and Colombian security forces posing as FARC members jumped out. They told the FARC members that they would take the hostages to the meeting with the "international mission." All of the captives were handcuffed and placed aboard the helicopter, along with two of their FARC guards, who were quickly disarmed and subdued after the helicopter lifted off. According to Betancourt, a crew member then turned and told the 15 hostages, "We are the national military. You are free."<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/americas/07/03/hostage.drama/index.html |title=Old-fashioned fake-out results in freedom for hostages |date=3 July 2008 |publisher=CNN |accessdate=2008-07-03}}</ref> Tracking technology was used by the rescuers to zero in on their target.<ref name="Pluck"/> On 16 July 2008 it became public that one of the Colombian officials was [[false flag|misusing]] a [[International Committee of the Red Cross|Red Cross]] emblem during the rescue operation.<ref name=TheTelegraph20080717> {{Cite news | url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/southamerica/colombia/2304805/Betancourt-rescuers-'used-Red-Cross-and-broke-Geneva-Convention'.html | title=Betancourt rescuers 'used Red Cross and broke Geneva Convention' | publisher=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]] | author= | date=2008-07-17 | accessdate=2008-07-17 | quote=We regret that this occurred", said President Álvaro Uribe in a speech, after reports emerged that the Red Cross emblem was displayed on a jersey or T-shirt worn by a Colombian intelligence officer who took part in the rescue mission. | location=London }}</ref><ref name=HoustonChronicle20080717> {{Cite news | url=http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5892114.html | title=Apologetic Uribe admits Red Cross impersonation | author=[[John Otis (journalist)|]] | publisher=[[Houston Chronicle]] | date=2008-07-17 | accessdate=2008-07-17 | quote= }}</ref><ref name=Afp20080717> {{Cite news | url=http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jhyOkh9rX1tcj-aGRbmdB0FokoPw | title=Uribe admits Red Cross emblem used in hostage rescue | publisher=[[Agence France Presse]] | date=2008-07-17 | accessdate=2008-07-17 | quote= }}</ref><ref name=Cnn20080717> {{Cite news | url=http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/americas/07/15/colombia.red.cross/?iref=mpstoryview | title= Colombian military used Red Cross emblem in rescue | publisher=CNN | author= | date=2008-07-17 | accessdate=2008-07-17 | quote= }}</ref> ==Religious significance== President Uribe stated that the rescue operation "was guided in every way by the light of the [[Holy Spirit]], the protection of our Lord and the [[Virgin Mary]]."<ref name=autogenerated1>[http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=13175 Rosary plays important role in hostage rescue in Colombia] Catholic News Agency, 9 July 2008</ref> The hostages indicated that they had spent much time in captivity praying the [[rosary]], and Betancourt, formerly a lapsed Catholic who prayed daily on a wooden rosary which she made while a hostage,<ref>[http://africa.reuters.com/world/news/usnL075297.html Betancourt to visit Lourdes shrine] Reuters 7 July 2008</ref> attributed the rescue as follows: "I am convinced this is a [[miracle]]."<ref name=autogenerated1 /> On 21 July 2008, Betancourt and her family made a pilgrimage to [[Our Lady of Lourdes|Lourdes]] to give thanks and to pray for her captors and those who remained hostage.<ref>[http://www.thebostonpilot.com/article.asp?ID=6524 Former Colombian hostage makes pilgrimage to Lourdes sanctuaries] [[The Pilot (newspaper)|The Pilot (Boston)]] 18 July 2008</ref> In August 2008, Betancourt and her family were received by [[Pope Benedict XVI]] in a brief audience. Meanwhile, Betancourt told a French Catholic magazine, ''Le Pelerin'' (''The Pilgrim''), July 12 that she constantly had read the Bible as a hostage."{{Citation needed|date=August 2010}} ==Political consequences== The liberated Betancourt thanked the Colombian armed forces and President Álvaro Uribe and gave her approval to Uribe's third term as a president. She urged neighbouring presidents [[Hugo Chávez]] (Venezuela) and [[Rafael Correa]] (Ecuador) to help Colombia and seek the political transformations in her country by democratic means. And she stated that she will dedicate herself now to help those who are still held captive in the jungle. Some believe that the liberation of Betancourt caused a dramatic change of the political scene.<ref>[http://www.eltiempo.com/colombia/politica/2008-07-06/en-cautiverio-ingrid-betancourt-se-reinvento-para-no-ser-mas-la-mujer-de-la-rabia-en-el-corazon_4363533-1 En cautiverio, Ingrid Betancourt se reinventó para no ser más la mujer de la 'Rabia en el Corazón'] – ''El Tiempo'', 6 July 2008</ref> In an interview on French radio shortly after her return to France, Betancourt distanced herself from Uribe's approach, while accepting that his security policy had been successful. She said the situation was at a point where "the vocabulary has to change" arguing that "the way in which we talk about the other side is very important".<ref>Interview on Radio France Internationale, July 2008</ref> She has also thanked president Hugo Chávez "for his help in recovering the freedom of many Colombian hostages" during their meeting in [[Caracas]] in 2010.<ref name="eltiempo.com">[http://www.eltiempo.com/colombia/bogota/ngridbetancourt-elogia-a-hugo-chavez-_8365460-4 ÍngridBetancourt elogia a Hugo Chávez - Noticias de Bogotá - Colombia - ELTIEMPO.COM<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> ==Reunion and celebration== [[File:ÍngridBetancourtSept2010.jpg|thumb|right|Betancourt in September 2010]] Sarkozy sent a [[French Air Force]] jet with Betancourt's children, her sister Astrid and her family, and accompanied by Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner for a tearful reunion. After paying her respects at her father's tomb she and the family boarded the jet and flew to France where she was greeted by Sarkozy and the First Lady [[Carla Bruni-Sarkozy]]. She gave speeches and urged the world not to forget and continue for the liberation of the rest of the hostages. She also spent several days in hospital. On July 9, President [[Michelle Bachelet]] of Chile said she would nominate Betancourt for a [[Nobel Prize]]. Sarkozy announced that she would receive the [[Legion of Honor]] at the [[Bastille Day]] celebrations. On July 20, Betancourt appeared next to singer [[Juanes]] at a rally in [[Trocadéro]] in Paris to celebrate Colombia's independence day and to once more urge the FARC to release all their hostages. Speaking directly to Alfonso Cano she said: {{Quote|See this Colombia, see the extended hand of President Uribe, and understand that it is time to stop the bloodshed. It is time to drop those weapons and change them for roses, substitute them with tolerance, respect, and as brothers that we are, find a way so that we can all live together in the world, live together in Colombia."<ref>{{Cite news|url= http://www.diariolasamericas.com/news.php?nid=57467|title= Worldwide Reaction in Favor of the Colombian Hostages |publisher=[[Diario Las Américas]]|date=21 July 2008}}</ref>}} ===Allegations of payment=== On 4 July 2008, ''[[Radio Suisse Romande]]'' reported that unnamed "reliable sources" had told it the rescue took place after a payment of [[US Dollars|USD]] 20 million by the United States.<ref>{{Cite news|publisher=Radio Suisse Romande|date=4 July 2008|url=http://info.rsr.ch/fr/news/Une_liberation_achetee.html?siteSect=2010&sid=9296405&cKey=1215168451000|language=French|title=Une libération achetée}}</ref> According to ''[[Le Monde]]'', the [[French Foreign Ministry]] denied the payment of any ransom by France.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.lemonde.fr/ameriques/article/2008/07/04/ingrid-betancourt-est-attendue-a-paris_1066575_3222.html|title=Ingrid Betancourt à Paris : "Aujourd'hui, je pleure de joie"|publisher=Le Monde|language=French|date=4 July 2008}}</ref> Frederich Blassel, the author of the ''Radio Suisse Romande'' story, told Colombia's ''W Radio'' that, according to his source, the release wasn't negotiated directly with FARC but with alias César, one of the two guerrillas captured during the operation, who would have received the payment of USD 20 million. According to Blassel, the two rebels could be given new identities by Spain, France and Switzerland.<ref>{{Cite news|url= http://www.wradio.com.co/nota.asp?id=626562|title=Alias César recibió 20 millones de dólares por entregar secuestrados: Radio Suiza |publisher=W Radio|language=Spanish|date=4 July 2008}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url= http://actualidad.terra.es/nacional/articulo/periodista-suiza-radio-afirma-pago-2596725.htm|title=Periodista de radio Suiza afirma que se pagó por liberar a los rehenes|publisher=[[Terra Networks|Terra Actualidad]], EFE|language=Spanish|date=4 July 2008}}</ref> The Minister of Defense Juan Manuel Santos, and Vice President Francisco Santos, in response to these claims, denied any payment. "That information is absolutely false. It has no basis. We don't know where it comes from and why its being said".<ref name="n5090">{{Cite news|url= http://www.lacapital.com.ar/contenidos/2008/07/05/noticia_5090.html|title=Colombia desmintió el pago de un millonario rescate por Betancourt. La Capital |publisher=[[La Capital]]|language=Spanish|date=4 July 2008}}</ref> He also added with a touch of irony that "Actually, it would have been a cheap offer, because we were willing to give up to USD 100 million […] We would be the first to inform publicly, because it is part of our rewards system policy, and besides, it would speak much worse about the FARC."<ref name="n5090"/> According to Colombia's ''[[El Tiempo (Colombia)|El Tiempo]]'' and ''[[La W|W Radio]]'', General [[Fredy Padilla de León]], Commander of the Colombian Armed Forces, denied the existence of any payment by the Colombian government. General Padilla argued that if any payment had been made, it would have been better to make it publicly known, to use it as an incentive and to cause confusion within FARC's ranks.<ref>{{Cite news|url= http://www.eltiempo.com/colombia/justicia/2008-07-04/no-se-pago-por-rescate-de-secuestrados-afirma-el-comandante-de-las-fuerzas-militares_4361595-1|title=No se pagó por rescate de secuestrados, afirma el comandante de las Fuerzas Militares|publisher=El Tiempo|language=Spanish|date=4 July 2008}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url= http://www.wradio.com.co/nota.asp?id=626591|title=Fuerzas Militares no pagaron por rescate de 15 secuestrados |publisher=W Radio|language=Spanish|date=4 July 2008}}</ref> ===Compensation request=== In June 2010, Betancourt requested to the Colombian justice,as other Colombian hostages previously did,a monetary compensation under the provision of Colombian victim of terrorism protection law.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.eltiempo.com/colombia/justicia/-abogado-de-ingrid-betancourt-afirma-que-no-hay-demandas-contra-el-estado_7798364-1 |title=Abogado de Íngrid Betancourt afirme que no hay demandas 'contra el estado' |newspaper=[[El Tiempo (Colombia)|ElTiempo]] |language=Spanish |date=2010-07-09 |accessdate=2010-07-09}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=Betancourt seeks Colombia kidnapping damages |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/latin_america/10581540.stm |publisher=BBC News |date=2010-07-09 |accessdate=2010-07-10}}</ref> She presented her request on the grounds of having been victim of a lack of protection when her escorts were dismissed on the 23rd Feb 2002, which facilitated being kidnapped by rebels.<ref name=Businessweek>{{Cite news|last=Bristow |first=Matthew |title=Ingrid Betancourt Says Colombian Negligence Led to Kidnapping |url=http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-07-09/ingrid-betancourt-says-colombian-negligence-led-to-kidnapping.html |newspaper=Bloomberg Businessweek |date=2010-07-09 |accessdate=2010-07-10}}</ref> The Colombian government said she was attacking in court the soldiers that had liberated her in 2008.<ref name=Businessweek/> Colombian vice president [[Francisco Santos Calderón|Francisco Santos]] said that the "lawsuit" deserved a "world prize for greed, ungratefulness and gall,"<ref>{{Cite news|title=Demanda de Ingrid: premio mundial a la codicia, ingratitud y desfachatez|url=http://www.elespectador.com/articulo-212611-demanda-de-ingrid-premio-mundial-codicia-ingratitud-y-desfachatez |newspaper=[[El Espectador]] |language=Spanish |date=2010-07-09 |accessdate=2010-07-10}}</ref> A few days after the news of the request had broken, and public indignation was added to the government's, Betancourt's lawyer Gabriel Devis, said that the focus had to be on the "protection mechanisms the Colombian state offers to its citizens" and that nobody was attacking any soldier. He stressed that the former hostage was "deeply grateful" to "the armed forces and all those who in one way or another risked their lives to free the hostages."<ref>[http://inform.com/politics/betancourt-dials-compensation-demand-hostage-ordeal-988253a Betancourt dials back compensation demand for hostage ordeal.] [[Agence France-Presse|AFP]] Global Edition, 11 July 2010</ref> Betancourt withdrew her claim for compensation expressing her indignation at the way in which her undertaking had been distorted and the public opinion manipulated. She had suffered what she called a 'public lapidation as if she was a criminal'.<ref>[http://www.canalrcnmsn.com/noticias/ingrid_betancourt_dice_que_en_colombia_la_tratan_como_la_peor_criminal Ingrid Betancourt dice que en Colombia la tratan como la peor criminal | www.canalrcnmsn.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> ==Apologies from the abductor== On 15 April 2008, Betancourt's abductor, Nolberto Uni Vega, said to journalists attending his trial in [[Combita]] that he is sorry for abducting the former presidential candidate, and that he feels "remorse" over her plight.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.usatoday.com/news/topstories/2008-04-15-2750979981_x.htm |title=Kidnapper sends letter of apology to candidate's family |date=15 April 2008 |publisher=USA Today |accessdate=2008-04-16 |first=Toby |last=Muse}}</ref> Uni gave a letter of apology to a journalist for delivery to Betancourt's mother, who would pass it on to President Sarkozy. ==La Nuit Blanche== In October 2007, [[Bertrand Delanoë]], the mayor of Paris, announced the upcoming [[Nuit Blanche]], saying, "This year, both Paris and Rome want to dedicate ''La Nuit Blanche'' to Ingrid Bétancourt. [She is] an [[List of honorary citizens of Paris|honorary citizen of the city of Paris]], and an especially (committed and involved) woman, who has been held in Colombia by the FARC since 23 February 2002. We will [continue to] fight unceasingly for her release."<ref>{{Cite web|title=Le mot des élus |url=http://www.paris.fr/portail/nb2007/Portal.lut?page_id=7948&document_type_id=5&document_id=31960&portlet_id=18605 |language=French |accessdate=2008-04-08 |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20071011171010/http://paris.fr/portail/nb2007/Portal.lut?page_id=7948&document_type_id=5&document_id=31960&portlet_id=18605 |archivedate = October 11, 2007}}</ref> ==''Out of Captivity'' book== In their book titled ''[[Out of Captivity]]'', American [[Northrop Grumman]] contractors [[Marc Gonsalves]], [[Keith Stansell]], and [[Thomas Howes]], all of whom spent time as hostages with Ingrid, described Betancourt's behavior as a captive of FARC as selfish, feeling she deserved better treatment than the other captives due to her political and social standing. The Americans, held captive by the FARC from 2003 to 2008, stated that throughout their captivity Betancourt claimed and took more than her fair share of scarce food, clothing, and personal space.<ref>Gonsalves, pp. 169-188</ref> Stansell said, "I can get over just about anything, but I don't know about Ingrid. Forgive? Yes. Move on? Yes. Respect? No." Marc Gonsalves has defended Betancourt:" For me she is a courageous person, she behaved like only heroes do, this is why I am so hurt with Keith's attacks."<ref name=autogenerated3>[http://www.caracoltv.com/noticias/massecciones/noalsecuestro/articulo123268-estadounidense-liberado-defiende-a-ingrid-betancourt Estadounidense liberado defiende a Ă?ngrid Betancourt | CaracolTV.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Betancourt declined to comment on the Americans' allegations. A spokesperson for her said that she was "dedicated to writing her own book and not making declarations until it is finished."<ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/feb/26/ingrid-betancourt-colombia-hostage-farc-book Betancourt vilified by fellow hostages], The Guardian</ref> ==Life after the rescue== Betancourt received the [[Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur]] (National Order of the Legion of Honour) shortly after her rescue and the Prince of Asturias Award of Concord in October 2008. She also met with international heads of state and international personalities such as Secretary General of the United Nations [[Ban Ki-moon]], [[Pope Benedict XVI]], [[King Juan Carlos]] of Spain and Prime Minister [[José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero]], President [[Álvaro Uribe]] of Colombia, President [[Hugo Chávez]] of Venezuela<ref name="eltiempo.com"/> and President [[Cristina Kirchner]] of Argentina. In 2009, she signed with Gallimard to write her memoirs. Her memoir was published on 21 September 2010 after fifteen months of writing, and is titled ''Même le silence a une fin'' (''Even Silence Has an End: My Six Years of Captivity in the Colombian Jungle''); it mainly describes her ordeal as a hostage of Colombian guerrillas. The book was praised as an "extraordinary adventure story", expressing her anguish in a poetic way.<ref>[http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/betancourt-finally-opens-up-about-her-six-years-in-jungle-captivity-2085836.html Betancourt finally opens up about her six years in jungle captivity]</ref> It was compared to the greatest authors; "just think of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn and ''The Gulag Archipelago'' or novelists like Dumas and Arthur Koestler" writes Larry Rohter in the ''New York Times'' Book review. Betancourt filed for divorce in 2009. == WikiLeaks== Recent documents made public through WikiLeaks tend to demonstrate that FARC commander Cesar, captured during Operation Jaque and extradited to the United States, had offered—prior to the rescue operation—to release Betancourt in exchange for money and protection.<ref>http://www.semana.com/noticias-politica/wikileaks-cesar-busco-acuerdo-gobierno-para-liberar-ingrid-betancourt/152146.aspx</ref> ==References== {{Clear}} {{Reflist|colwidth=30em}} ==External links== {{Portal|Colombia|France|Biography}} {{Commons|Ingrid Betancourt}} {{Wikiquote}} *[http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130108179&sc=fb&cc=fp Ingrid Betancourt's Six Years In The Jungle] - full audio report by ''[[NPR]]'' *[http://www.democracynow.org/2010/9/27/ingrid_betancourt_even_silence_has_an Betancourt: "My Six Years of Captivity"] - video interview by ''[[Democracy Now!]]'' *[http://www.thekidnappingofingridbetancourt.com/ The Kidnapping of Ingrid Betancourt] - documentary film {{2002 presidential candidates, Colombia}} <!-- Metadata (see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]) --> {{DISPLAYTITLE:Ingrid Betancourt}} {{Authority control|VIAF=64180232}} {{Persondata |NAME=Betancourt, Ingrid |ALTERNATIVE NAMES= |SHORT DESCRIPTION=Colombian-French politician |DATE OF BIRTH=25 December 1961 |PLACE OF BIRTH=Bogotá, Colombia |DATE OF DEATH= |PLACE OF DEATH= }} {{DEFAULTSORT:Betancourt Pulecio, Ingrid}} [[Category:1961 births]] [[Category:Sciences Po alumni]] [[Category:Colombian people taken hostage]] [[Category:Colombian Roman Catholics]] [[Category:Colombian women in politics]] [[Category:Colombian people of French descent]] [[Category:French politicians]] [[Category:French Roman Catholics]] [[Category:Kidnapped politicians]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Members of the Chamber of Representatives of Colombia]] [[Category:Recipients of the Geuzenpenning (Netherlands)]] [[Category:Members of the Senate of Colombia]] [[Category:Presidential candidates]] [[Category:Victims of human rights abuses]] [[Category:Oxygen Green Party politicians]] [[Category:Colombia–France relations]] {{link FA|he}} [[bg:Ингрид Бетанкур]] [[ca:Íngrid Betancourt]] [[cs:Ingrid Betancourtová]] [[da:Íngrid Betancourt]] [[de:Íngrid Betancourt]] [[es:Íngrid Betancourt]] [[eo:Íngrid Betancourt]] [[eu:Ingrid Betancourt]] [[fa:اینگرید بتانکورت]] [[fr:Íngrid Betancourt]] [[ko:잉그리드 베탕쿠르]] [[it:Íngrid Betancourt]] [[he:אינגריד בטנקור]] [[la:Ingrida Betancourt]] [[lv:Ingrīda Betankūra]] [[lt:Íngrid Betancourt]] [[nl:Íngrid Betancourt]] [[ja:イングリッド・ベタンクール]] [[no:Íngrid Betancourt]] [[oc:Íngrid Betancourt]] [[pl:Íngrid Betancourt]] [[pt:Íngrid Betancourt]] [[ksh:Ingrid Betancourt]] [[ru:Бетанкур, Ингрид]] [[scn:Ingrid Betancourt]] [[simple:Ingrid Betancourt]] [[fi:Íngrid Betancourt]] [[sv:Íngrid Betancourt]] [[tl:Íngrid Betancourt]] [[uk:Інгрід Бетанкур]] [[wa:Ingrid Betancourt]] [[zh:英格丽德·贝当古]]'