Sunday, March 02, 2008

Free Ingrid Betancourt - Colombian Green Party Presidential candidate kidnapped 6 years ago

Celebrating the International Women's Day, The Brazilian National President of the Green Party, José Luiz Penna, by his own initiative, invites society for an international public act asking freedom for Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt, former senator, ex president of the Green Party and anti-corruption activist. Betancourt was kidnapped by the FARC on February 23th, 2002 while campaigning for the presidency.

The Act will occur in Sao Paulo in front of Monumento aos Bandeirantes near Ibirapuera Park, at 8th march, 2008 from 9:00 am to noon.

For consulting other states act locations in Brazil, please contact National PV – Green Party – from Brasilia, www.pv.org.br

The silence and omission are according to complicity of sequestration!

We can't even tolerate this kind of aggressive behavior in South - American ground.

1 comment:

Jason Nabewaniec said...

International Women’s Day Commemorates Colombian Kidnap Victims


This International Women’s Day the Green Party of Canada joins “El Partido Verde Oxigeno” of Colombia in a circumglobal day of solidarity. We are asking President Uribe of Colombia to negotiate for the release of his country’s kidnap victims via a peacefully negotiated settlement with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).


As Canadians we also call on Prime Minister Steven Harper to use his influence to join us in asking for the victims’ release by a non-violent means. Ex-Presidential Candidate Ingrid Betancourt, the French-Colombian National and former Presidential Candidate for the Green Party and a FARC captive since February 23, 2002, is, like many women the world over, not only a kidnapping victim, but also a hostage to poverty, war and many other forms violence.


Fellow captive Luis E. Perez, one of 4 victims released February 27 th 2008 (a hostage for 7 years), last saw Ingrid Betancourt on February 4th, 2008. Ingrid is forced to sleep chained by her neck and is often starved for days as punishment for her repeated escape attempts. Her health is failing to the point that her hair is falling out. Sharing her fate are an estimated 3000 fellow hostages still sequestered in the jungle.


The recently freed Mr. Pérez is emphatic in that: “We must not permit this situation to continue…the International Community must ask for the release of Ingrid and all the sequestered. We must work tirelessly to obtain the liberty of everyone, but in particular of Ingrid Betancourt who is at this time in a supremely difficult position.” His advice to those who have lost hope: “We must persist in dialogue - the only way out (of the armed conflict) for Colombia is via a political solution. War makes no sense whatsoever. The means define the ends.”… His final plea: To-day, more than ever before, Colombians are asking the International community to help us find peace via a political solution to these problems.”


Colombian President Uribe has proclaimed “We will not concede not even one millimetre of our territory… in order to rescue Ingrid Betancourt and the others who are in captivity with her…” However, his intention to take military action in order to free Ingrid Betancourt and others being held hostage by the FARC is seen as too dangerous by the victim’s relatives, because the guerrilla have given orders to kill the prisoners if they learn of a planned military rescue mission. Ingrid’s daughter Melanie Delloye-Betancourt has stated Uribe’s intention is an act of defiance towards French President Nicolás Sarkozy, who has called on Uribe to insist on a negotiated prisoner swap (the ‘accuerdo humanitario’) and not to embark on another military intervention.


Silvaine Zimmermann, M.Sc.,

International Representative to the Global Greens for the Green Party of Canada