Íngrid Betancourt
Colombian politician and anti-corruption activist / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Íngrid Betancourt Pulecio (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈiŋɡɾið βetaŋˈkuɾ];[1] born 25 December 1961)[2] is a Colombian politician, former senator and anti-corruption activist, especially opposing political corruption.
Íngrid Betancourt | |
---|---|
Senator of Colombia | |
In office 20 July 1998 – 21 May 2001 | |
Member of the Chamber of Representatives | |
In office 20 July 1994 – 20 July 1998 | |
Constituency | Capital District |
Personal details | |
Born | Íngrid Betancourt Pulecio (1961-12-25) 25 December 1961 (age 62) Bogotá, Colombia |
Nationality | Colombian French |
Political party | Oxygen Green Party |
Spouses | |
Children | 2 |
Education | Sciences Po (BA) Harris Manchester College, Oxford (ABD) |
Betancourt was kidnapped by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) on 23 February 2002 while campaigning for the Colombian presidency as a Green candidate, and was rescued by Colombian security forces six and a half years later on 2 July 2008. The rescue operation, dubbed Operation Jaque, rescued Betancourt along with 14 other hostages (three United States citizens, and 11 Colombian policemen and soldiers).[3][4] She had decided to campaign in the former "zone of dissention", after the military operation "Tanatos" was launched, and after the zone was declared free of guerrillas by the government.[5] Her kidnapping received worldwide coverage, particularly in France, where she also held citizenship due to her prior marriage to a French diplomat.[2]
Betancourt has received multiple international awards in 2008 at her liberation, such as the Légion d'honneur or the Concord Prince of Asturias Award.[6] After her release, she was portrayed by some of her fellow captives as "controlling and manipulative";[7] others described her as "caring" and "courageous".[8][9] One of them (Luis Eladio Pérez) claims Betancourt saved his life.[10]
On 18 January 2022, she announced her candidacy for the 2022 Colombian presidential election in which she finished seventh.[11]