Statement by the International Federation of Ingrid Betancourt
committees for the hostages in Colombia. (FICIB)
FICIB is astonished and very concerned by
the statement made by the Head of the Colombian Army, General Freddy
Padilla de Leon.
According to the General "the
manner in which Ingrid Betancourt's mother has behaved, has become an
obstacle to freeing her daughter. She
has helped to raise her value as a product to the extent that she is
seen as a jewel in the crown."
FICIB wishes to remind people that if
Ingrid has been held for nearly six years, several other hostages have
been held for over ten years, and that the fact they remain completely
anonymous has not resulted in their being freed now.
On the contrary, it is thanks to the
campaign created about the situation of Ingrid Betancourt that, FARC ,
realising the international community is watching ,were obliged to
respect their hostages and that, finally, some of them were freed. Need
we remind ourselves that prior to Yolanda Pulecio and others
successfully raising awareness about the Colombian hostage situation,
their cause had only resulted in indifference?
We respectfully and firmly ask President
Uribe that he remind the Head of the Army, a general who has had some
questionable activities on his record, of his duty to consider carefully
his words; words that are all the more shocking as they attack a person
such as Yolanda Pulecio, who has widespread respect in Colombia and
abroad, for her courage, her generous qualities and her immense dignity.