Ex-hostages leap to Betancourt’s defence

[Judi Lynn]

Ex-hostages leap to Betancourt’s defence
28/02 14:04 CET

Former hostages of the Colombian FARC guerillas have been defending the character of Ingrid Betancourt.

Three other captives – Americans Keith Stansell, Thomas Howes and Marc Gonsalves – have written a book containing claims that she was arrogant, she stole food, and put the authors’ lives in danger by telling the rebel guards that the authors were CIA agents.

But former hostage Orlando Beltran disagreed: “I can say that Ingrid Betancourt is a brave and aggressive woman. On several occasions she insulted the guerillas for behaviour she did not agree with. I have a lot of respect for Ingrid for being brave enough to try to escape from captivity four times. Did these American men ever think about trying to escape from the guerillas?”

And another freed captive, Sigifredo Lopez, said: “I’m sorry but I will not put down my copy of Borges or Shakespeare in order to read this book by the Americans.”

More:
http://www.euronews.net/en/article/28/02/2009/ex-hostages-leap-to-betancour-defence/

[Peace Patriot]

1. I love Sigifredo Lopez's comment!

Colombian Defense Minister Santos (a Rumsfeld type) is running for narco-dictator...um...president of Colombia, and has a lot of our war profiteers on his side. He was just in Washington lobbying for another half billion, to add to his $6 BILLION in war booty.

Betancourt (who wants peace in Colombia's 40+ year civil war) is a potential rival to Santos--although I believe she has said she isn't running. No matter, our jerkwads probably want to knock her of contention, on spec--or at least damage and slander her. I think it's pretty likely that these 3 Americans are...what is it called? ...CIA assets. Maybe not agents, but doing CIA jobs for pay. I don't know much about them, but can't escape the impression that their dissing of Betancourt is at the behest of some of the "players."

I think it's kind of funny--these three presumably macho tough guy narcs letting a woman steal their food. (If true.) They seem like our other rightwingers--whiners, chips on their shoulders, always blaming someone else, gifted with illegitimate power so they feel pissed and injured when they lose, no positive solutions of their own, just more war, forever.

I wonder if they realize how bad and puny this complaint makes them look. They need to read Borges and Shakespeare.