Saturday, December 29, 2007

Will Ingrid be freed?


The quality of this photo is terrible - sorry for that - but I still decided to publish it because what matters here is the symbol. The lady on the screen is Ingrid Betancourt and she has been a hostage in Colombia for 6 years now (I already posted a photo about her, here)... The authorities often remind us of her, like you can see on this photo of the Parliament (Assemblée Nationale) where they installed a huge screen showing her. Recently there has been good hopes that she could be freed but so far, she is still a prisoner.

11 comments:

  1. Gosh how awful, i do hope she is freed soon. This is a good awareness campaign and by the way i like the whole photo Eric.

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  2. Thank you for teaching me. May the world learn peace and tolerance.

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  3. It's good to remember. The story is even more poignant after the Bhutto assassination on Thursday. I confess, I do worry about Hillary here. We don't lack crazies on this side of the pond.

    I hope everyone out there has a good weekend--the last of 2007. Let's make it special, and work to make 2008 better.

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  4. It is hard to believe she is still a captive...it was over two years ago that I remember the posters in front of the Hotel de Ville. I saw on the TV5 Monde news that people in France were encouraged to place a lit candle in their window on Christmas for her. I hope 2008 will bring her freedom and return to France.

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  5. I watch the French news here in the US and am heartened that things are moving forward for Ingrid and others. The French presidency seems to be able to move things forward by actually talking with other countries. What very few people in the US seem to realize is that 3 Americans are being held by the same group (FARC) since 2003 and yet I have heard nothing about their plight on the news nor any hue and cry to get them out. Maybe our next president (it can't happen soon enough) will reach out to other leaders in South America as well and get our guys out.

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  6. Thanks for keeping Ingrid in our forebrain. It's easy to forget as we run our daily lives. The civil war in Colombia was once idealistic. It is now only a war of land control, intimidation, wholesale murder and kidnapping. Maybe when all drugs are legal the obscene street profits will vanish and the power will return to the people. One can only hope. So few brave souls like Ingrid remain. Viva Colombia!

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  7. I hope they let this woman free along with all the other hostages the FARC have. Being half Colombian I have been very aware of the kidnappings. My Aunt in Colombia was a Judge and Magistrate of the courts there and took an early retirement because of the killings and kidnappings.

    While I do feel sorry for this woman, it is pretty much her own fault for getting kidnapped. She was told not to go to La Montanita and she was under the impression no one would do anything to her because of who she is. She was very wrong. Colombians warned her and told her the FARC is no respector or persons. She made a choice.

    Having lived in Colombia myself, I know when there is a warning about where NOT to go, the warning needs to be heeded. It is not like this woman was the first person to be kidnapped.

    I am sorry if I have stepped on any toes here. I have enjoyed the Paris Picture of the day for the last couple of months and hope I have not offened anyone.

    Cristina.

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  8. To answer the the comment on the 3 Americans in captivity, the reason you don't hear much about them is, the US doesn't negociate (sp?) with terrrorist groups. When my husband was stationed down there helping the Colombian Army with training and planning, he told me that if he gets kidnapped DO NOT talk to the press. If the FARC think they have someone important they feel they have a bargining chip.

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  9. Well...thank heavens Ingrid is lucky enough to have a family who is willing to fight and shout at the top of their lungs for her and all the others rotting in jungle hell for years and years years and who will not allow them to be forgotten by their own country and government.

    I sincerely hope France's efforts to negotiate and work with other South American countries to "help move" the FARC beyond this stalemate will prove to be beneficial to ALL the kidnap victims, not just Ingrid and her entourage.
    And if not...then it is best to let our men rot there in anonymity and do nothing.

    God bless them and keep them all safe.
    And God help the USA.

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  10. 6 years! How awful. Thanks for this photograph.

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