Ingrid Betancourt suffers from Stockholm syndrome

[The Minx]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7494196.stm

End Farc 'hate', Betancourt urges

The recently freed Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt has urged an end to the Colombian government's "vocabulary of hate" against her former captors.

Ms Betancourt, a former presidential candidate, was held hostage for six years by Marxist Farc rebels.

But, while praising President Alvaro Uribe's work towards her release, she said it was time to end "extremist" language towards the Farc.

Ms Betancourt is in Paris, where she flew after her release on Wednesday.

"I think we have reached a point where we must change this radical, extremist vocabulary of hate of very strong words that intimately wound the human being," she told French radio.

Ms Betancourt is urging the government to take a more conciliatory tone towards the Farc to achieve further hostage releases, says BBC Americas analyst Warren Bull.

But she has no illusions about what she considers to be the group's real nature, he adds.

Revenge fear

The 46-year-old, who has dual Colombian and French nationality, said she would not return to Colombia immediately.

"I think one has to be clever, maybe it is not the time to go home," Ms Betancourt told Radio France International.

"The Farc have taken a huge blow, they could probably want some kind of revenge or do something to regain a certain prestige, so I think it is best to be careful."

Ms Betancourt was campaigning for Colombia's presidency when she was captured by the Farc (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) in 2002.

Speaking to French radio, she did not rule out resuming her political career at some stage but said the time was not yet right.

She said she wished to serve Colombia with all her heart, but that at present it was "too early to talk of such things".

Ms Betancourt has become a celebrity in France, and is due to receive a Legion of Honour medal from President Nicolas Sarkozy next week.

She has said that she plans to write a play about her experience of being held hostage by the left-wing rebels.

The Farc, which has been waging a war of independence for the past four decades, still holds more than 40 high-profile hostages, among up to 700 other captives.

Way to spit in the face of your rescuers, you sanctimonious little bitch.

[frigidmagi]

First off I am glad to see you back Minx.

To be fair, all she is saying is that the Colombian government use nicer words when talking about FARC. She is not saying that they're right or justified or that the government should give in on any point.

After 6 years of captivity I would expect an element of Stockholm syndrome in anyone.

Still I think what the most revealing thing is, is the fact that she refuses to even be on the same landmass as her one time captors
.

[The Minx]

First off I am glad to see you back Minx.

Thanks.

To be fair, all she is saying is that the Colombian government use nicer words when talking about FARC. She is not saying that they're right or justified or that the government should give in on any point.

Aye, maybe I'm being too harsh, wouldn't be the first time that's happened. But her statement really rubbed me the wrong way.

This was particularly seeing as it is Uribe's hard-line stance is what got her released in the first place. While she praises his work, she now claims that a more conciliatory approach would be appropriate now, when FARC is suffering one defeat after the other? Perhaps to encourage them to surrender entirely and dissolve their organization, but to gain concessions?

Incidentally, the line about "extremist vocabulary of hate of very strong words that intimately wound the human being" really got to me too: boo hoo, better not hurt their widdle feelings, after they have directly caused the deaths of thousands of people.

After 6 years of captivity I would expect an element of Stockholm syndrome in anyone.

Perhaps. But have the other hostages made similar statements?

Still I think what the most revealing thing is, is the fact that she refuses to even be on the same landmass as her one time captors.

And that is true.

[Steve]

After 6 years of captivity I would expect an element of Stockholm syndrome in anyone.

Perhaps. But have the other hostages made similar statements?

I don't think that quite matters, people are different in the way their minds work. Some might go her way, others wouldn't.

[General Havoc]

I'm reasonably certain in any case that the Colombian government is not about to craft their policy on the FARC based around her statements.