Friday 05 September
2008, San José, Costa Rica
RIGHTS:
Betancourt Wants
Political Niche for
Guerrillas
By Sabina Zaccaro
ROME (IPS) -
Resolution of the
conflict in Colombia can
only come through
"dialogue and openness,"
says Ingrid Betancourt,
the former presidential
candidate held hostage
by leftist guerrillas
for more than six years
before being rescued by
the Colombian military
in July.
Opening a "political
niche" to guerrillas
from the Revolutionary
Armed Forces of Colombia
(FARC), where they can
act "in a scheme of
political legitimacy"
could help progress in
achieving peace, she
says.
Betancourt's four-day
visit to Italy this week
was highlighted by a
meeting with Pope
Benedict XVI, something
she had "been dreaming
throughout all the
period of captivity."
She had declared
immediately after her
release that she wanted
to meet the Pope to
thank him for his
prayers and for his
public appeals for her
release.
Vatican spokesman
Federico Lombardi told
Vatican Radio that the
meeting was "very
emotional." Her years as
a prisoner were "a time
of great spiritual
experience, of prayer,
and so she really wanted
to tell the Holy Father
about the importance
faith played in
sustaining her during
that very difficult
period," Father Lombardi
said.
Betancourt said she is
also thankful to all of
Italy for support
through the period of
captivity.
But she used her visit
mainly to reiterate a
call for dialogue
between government and
guerrilla forces, which
she said are in a kind
of "autistic attitude,
they are only able to
listen to themselves."
Addressing her
kidnappers directly, she
said: "After almost
seven years, I can say I
know you, I know your
organisation, your
ideas, your objectives."
The world, she said, is
inviting them to open
their hearts "to
something more than
political and military
calculations," and to
"make room for peace in
your minds."
And peace can come only
"through the way of
democracy, mutual
respect and law," she
said. She asked the
Colombian government to
recognise the political
role of the FARC,
"knowing that we are
different, and have
different ideas."
Ingrid Betancourt spoke
also about her political
and personal plans. "The
truth is that after
seven years as a victim
of tyranny and war, my
life's perspective has
changed," she told
reporters, her eyes
lowered most of the
time, and in a voice
often breaking with
emotion.
"Things that used to be
important no longer are;
at this moment I only
feel the need to speak
for those who can't,
first of all for those
still in the hands of
the FARC, people I know
very well, and who are
suffering."
She said her priority is
to work for the
liberation of other
hostages in Colombia and
around the world. "I no
longer have ambitions
for a political career
in Colombia. Perhaps in
the future I will think
about it, but I don't
believe my place is in
the political arena at
this moment."
Referring to reports of
her joining the
Paris-based United
Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural
Organisation (UNESCO),
she said "it would be a
great honour for me to
work for UNESCO, but
there are people who are
more qualified than I
am."
Her priority, she said,
is "to build up a group
of people that can help
me to achieve my
mission: to alleviate
the pain of those who
are still prisoner, to
make people aware."
Her own story shows, she
added, that talking
about the victims of
terror can save lives.
"During my imprisonment,
globalisation to me
meant knowing that
people in the whole
world were asking for my
release."
Nicola Zingaretti,
president of the Rome
province, said Italy is
supporting her
candidature for the
Nobel Peace Price.
"Because Ingrid has won
her battle in the name
of democracy and
freedom, and gives the
world a message of
hope," Zingaretti told
IPS. "With her
liberation, the cause of
peace and justice has
won."
The municipality of Rome
conferred honorary
citizenship to
Betancourt in 2003.
Under former mayor
Walter Veltroni, the
city led many public
initiatives for her
release.
A day before
Betancourt's arrival in
Italy, the daily La
Repubblica reported that
a Colombian government
dossier would accuse
Italy's Refounded
Communist Party (Rifondazione
Comunista) of links with
the FARC, included
fundraising for it.
The revelation allegedly
emerged from e-mails on
a laptop belonging to
FARC commander Raul
Reyes, who was killed in
March in a Colombian
military raid.
Ramon Mantovani, in
charge of the party's
foreign affairs section,
said the party's
contacts with FARC are
well known. "The
position of my party is
that Colombia needs
peace talks, and all the
contacts between us and
FARC are addressed to
give our contribution to
rebuilding a peace
process in Colombia," he
told IPS.
Mantovani said his party
will keep campaigning
for peace in Colombia,
and seek the
"politically negotiated
resolution of an armed
conflict that has been
staining Colombia with
blood for too many
years."
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