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Betancourt’s plea to E.U. Parliament

PHOTO: AP

SOLIDARITY: The former Colombian presidential candidate and former Colombian FARC guerilla hostage, French-Colombian Ingrid Betancourt (centre), with Belgian chamber chairman Herman Van Rompuy (left) and Senate Chairman Armand De Decker during a visit to the Belgian federal Parliament on Thursday.

BRUSSELS: The former hostage, Ingrid Betancourt, made an emotional appeal to E.U. lawmakers on Wednesday to work for the release of other captives, saying nations must drop long-held taboos against talking with terror groups.

She said isolating such groups made no sense anymore and did little to address root causes of terrorism such as poverty. Ms. Betancourt said seeking “dialogue was indispensable” to ending conflict. “When I say we have to negotiate with terrorists, I say it’s the best way to save lives.”

She broke down in tears several times during her address to the lawmakers, who gave her numerous standing ovations.

“Let them [the hostages] rest assured that we will not stop, we will not give up in silence and we will never, never stop taking action until they are freed,” said Ms. Betancourt after trying to read out some 20 names of hostages still being held by Colombia’s FARC guerilla rebel movement, which held her captive. Ms. Betancourt, who was campaigning for the Colombian presidency when she was abducted in 2002, was rescued by the Army in July along with 14 other hostages. Since her release, she has spent most of her time abroad, either in Europe or the United States. She has dual French-Colombian nationality.

She said radio news reports from the European Parliament calling for her and others to be released over the years while she was in captivity gave the hostages hope.

“It’s possible they are listening to us now, that will remind them that they are still alive,” she said.

Ms. Betancourt said she was eager to travel to Zimbabwe, Sudan’s Darfur region and Somalia to talk and share experiences with victims of poverty and conflict there.

“The human word ... transcends ideologies, religions and so on,” she said. — AP

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