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Ingrid superstar

Zona franca. Por: Jorge Restrepo Potes.
El Pais

�?ngrid, superstar
Julio 24 de 2008

Antes del secuestro, �?ngrid Betancourt me parecía persona desagradable, pues sus intervenciones en política la mostraban con una suficiencia y un ego desbordados, al punto de creerse Juana de Arco rediviva. Sus posturas moralistas, sus huelgas de hambre en el Congreso y sus ofensas a la gente que odiaba eran siempre salidas de tono. Inclusive, pensaba que buena parte de culpa le cupo en el secuestro por su terquedad en ir a San Vicente del Caguán, a sabiendas de los riesgos que corría y que le fueron advertidos por las autoridades.

Naturalmente lamenté que las Farc la hubieran llevado a lo profundo de la selva, donde vivió el más atroz de los cautiverios. No hubo degradación ni humillación ni maltrato a los que no la sometieran. Pero no lograron domeñarla y hasta el último día conservó su espíritu altivo.

El mundo entero se conmovió con la fotografía que publicaron todos los medios, tomada en octubre del año pasado. Delgada, pálida, con la mirada baja para no ver al que la tomaba, todos creíamos imposible que pudiese soportar más sufrimiento. Las Farc, insensibles, no tenían compasión y quizás no llegaron al extremo de darle muerte, pues eso sería la demostración palmaria de su perversidad.

Cuando se produjo el operativo exitoso, sus compatriotas vimos asombrados que del avión que la devolvió a la libertad descendió una mujer distinta de la que se llevaron los criminales el 22 de febrero del 2002. No podía dar crédito a lo que veían mis ojos. Cuando yo esperaba una mujer postrada, surge en la portezuela de la aeronave una auténtica heroína. Pero como deben ser las de verdad. Sin llanto, sin alharacas, sin imprecaciones a los secuestradores.

Y en los días siguientes ese espíritu de grandeza cautivó a todos los que la vieron en la televisión y a los que oyeron o leyeron sus declaraciones para los diferentes medios. Con humildad aceptó que los jefes de Estado le rindieran honores, incluida la Legión de Honor que le impuso el marido de Carla Bruni. Manejó con tino el aspecto político, pues si bien apoyó la primera reelección de Uribe, luego dijo que había que mermarle al discurso pendenciero.

�?ngrid Betancourt está en el momento cenital de su carrera política. Por eso, si yo fuese cercano al Presidente le aconsejaría que desde ahora vaya pensando en hacerla Vicepresidenta suya o de quien él escoja para sucederlo, si es que no insiste en el error de hacerse reelegir de nuevo. Porque �?ngrid suelta les arma un serio lío a todos los que medran alrededor de la sombra bienhechora del mesías de la Patria.

Hágala Canciller. Nómbrela en la Embajada en París. Llévela a las Naciones Unidas. Todo eso antes de que reciba el Premio Nobel de la Paz para el que ya la presidenta Bachelet y los diputados italianos la postularon. Con este trofeo en la mochila, ya no habrá pinzas para cogerla.

Por lo pronto, Noemí Sanín, Germán Vargas y todos los que aspiran al solio de Bolívar en el 2010 deben estar tomando goticas de esas tan buenas que toma el jefe para calmar los nervios. Sólo queda Juan Manuel Santos, si es que Uribe resuelve poner a su servicio las ‘panzer divisionen’ del Gobierno para ganar la justa presidencial.

Porque �?ngrid, como en la célebre opereta, es ‘superstar’ y todo indica que tiene a Jesucristo de su lado. Así que los que quieran seguir ‘pelechando’ en política tienen que cargarle la maleta, como ya lo ofreció Lucho Garzón.

http://www.elpais.com.co/historico/jul242008/OPN/opi4.html

By Desideria (Moderator) (Trustee board) on Jul 25, 2008, 04:42 in Solo en Espanol.

Rikito says on Jul 25, 2008, 05:28:

really...at this point who really cares? you will never hear the whole truth nor will a complete story ever be told. it is a waste of time to even read about her.

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tasco66 says on Jul 25, 2008, 06:14:

Superstar only in France and with some PBH members...

Not being bound to swear to the dogmas of any master

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Desideria (Moderator) (Trustee board) says on Jul 25, 2008, 06:48:

No soy el autor de la columna. Asía que debe tener sus adictos en Colombia tambien....

"When shall we three meet again? In thunder, lightning, or in rain?"(First Witch in Macbeth)

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Gator says on Jul 25, 2008, 07:43:

A legend in her own mind.

Adios Ingrid. Hasta la vista. Used no dijo ni hasta luego.

"Credidi pretio parvo emere et magno vendere tibi in animo fuisse!" .

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Mononoke28 says on Jul 25, 2008, 07:53:

Too much ass kissing if you ask me. Whoever wrote this must have his walls filled with Ingrid Betancourt posters all over the house. Yikes.

Diana

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Lisa Zee says on Jul 25, 2008, 09:27:

Like it or not, she is a huge public figure, admire for many intellectuals all over the world!!!!!!.

Feliz Navidad!

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Rikito says on Jul 25, 2008, 09:36:

what intellectuals? Please enlighten us with some names of these contributors to the intellectual awareness of our planet?

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Lisa Zee says on Jul 25, 2008, 09:42:

If you read, other than PBH, you would answer your question yourself.

Feliz Navidad!

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billyb says on Jul 25, 2008, 09:43:

Yeah, who beside a bunch of frenchie's?

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Gator says on Jul 25, 2008, 09:46:

intellectuals (a common street name for liberals.)

"... she is a huge public figure" Not in Colombia-Yo creo que usted no tienes razón. Ten cuidado no metas la pata.

"Credidi pretio parvo emere et magno vendere tibi in animo fuisse!" .

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huskie says on Jul 25, 2008, 10:28:

I was just in France, no superstar there that I could see, nothing, zilch, nada....a lot bull***p!!!
Cheers

"Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds-"

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Mononoke28 says on Jul 25, 2008, 10:29:

Time will tell for sure. There's no doubt that she's a smart lady and not submissive by any means, but I still don't think she would make a great VP just because she was held captive for over 6 years.

Diana

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wcarmack says on Jul 25, 2008, 11:20:

There are two books out which speak highly of Ingrid during her period of captivity. The first book is MI FUGA, hacia la libertad, by John Pinchao. The other is 7 Años Secuestrado por las FARC by Luis Eladio Perez.

These books are presently on sale across Colombia.

Woody

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dwmte7 says on Jul 25, 2008, 11:36:

i'll tell you which true intellectuals talk her up......ice T; p diddy, 50 cent, et al.

dwmte

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Mononoke28 says on Jul 25, 2008, 13:16:

LOL!!!!

Diana

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Desideria (Moderator) (Trustee board) says on Jul 26, 2008, 03:39:

Mis contactos en Colombia dicen que hay mucha gente que le tiene una gran admiración a ella y además muchos que han cambiado su percepeción negativa sobre su persona. Además, dicen que ella se ha transformado mucho durante su cautiverio; ha madurado enormemente como persona.

El tiempo dirá; pienso que despues de una estadía de algunos meses en Francia ella regresará a Colmbia para retomar su lucha contra la corrupción, para seguir su esfuerzo para la liberación de secuestrados, para seguir su carrera politica, ya sea como candidata para ser vicepresidente de Uribe o para su propio partido el Oxigeno Verde. ´
Sé que muchos colombianos la ven con cierta desconfianza pero con el tiempo se drán cuenta de las extraordinarias cualidades de esta mujer digna y honesta, valiente y tenaz.

"When shall we three meet again? In thunder, lightning, or in rain?"(First Witch in Macbeth)

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Rikito says on Jul 26, 2008, 05:43:

Lisa Zee I am serious...who are these intellectuals and who makes them so? Because your are an intellectual does that give you credibility or something? Does that mean there comments have more value or more insightful than mine?

I know of an intellectual that I have met briefly, listen to a lecture of his and read 2 of his essay’s. His name is Noam Chomsky. He is a brilliant scholar and theoretical scientist. He is also an anarchist and political activist. When he lectures on linguistics he is fascinating, but when he talks about politics he doesn’t know his ass from a hole in the ground. He is completely stupid and inarticulate. He is such a brilliant person, yet he cannot prove any of his political theories. Does that make him and intellectual? Not in my book.

I have a friend in Boulder, Colorado…her name is Anne. She has a master’s degree in history and is apolitical. Never wrote a book, gave a speech, appeared on TV or was arrested for her political activities. But, she is one of the most brilliant people I have ever met and the people who know her agree. Ann is a true intellectual.

This is what I am trying to get at.

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billyb says on Jul 26, 2008, 14:52:

I think the accepted deffinition of intellectual on PBH is someone who agrees with our POV.

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robi666 (Trustee board) says on Jul 26, 2008, 15:44:

I was pleasantly surprised by her intelligent speeches after her liberation.
She showed to be a moderated and free thinking person.

Despite her mother and Mr. France did all they could to make us sincerely hate her, she surely succeeded in changing a lot of people feeling about her.
The artificial show in France was due, expected, but not important.

"I am a citizen of the most beautiful nation on earth. A nation whose laws are harsh yet simple, a nation that never cheats, which is immense and without borders, where life is lived in the present."

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Lisa Zee says on Jul 26, 2008, 15:52:

There you go "Doctor" Rikito!.....

Feliz Navidad!

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MaFe says on Jul 26, 2008, 16:29:

dwmte7 says on Jul 25, 2008, 11:36: flag

i'll tell you which true intellectuals talk her up......ice T; p diddy, 50 cent, et al.

jaaaaaaaaaaaaaa jaaaaaaaa

"All human actions have one or more of these seven causes: chance, nature, compulsions, habit, reason, passion, desire. "-Aristotle

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dwmte7 says on Jul 27, 2008, 17:15:

dear, you leave me speechless, i forgot to mention, er, what's his name ummm, damn, subjects like this catch me off guard and discolor my opinion of myself as an indeflectual.

dwmte

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Lisa Zee says on Jul 27, 2008, 21:43:

Time will tell.
http://www.semana.com/wf_InfoArticulo.aspx?idArt=113880

Feliz Navidad!

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juli says on Aug 22, 2008, 06:51:

Ingrid debe callarte el hocico!

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Desideria (Moderator) (Trustee board) says on Aug 22, 2008, 08:22:

This is something that really depresses me.

I've always considered myself a humanist, picking my fights in defense of the little guy, the one who doesn't get his voice heard, always believing that most of the time most of the people do well-intentioned things or if they do or say nasty things it's because of ignorance, a bad experience, somehow justified and as an expression of misdirected anger. I gues that's the idealist inme. Call me naive, but I wouldn't want to be any other way.

That's why it hits me right between the eyes, every time people kick somebody already postrated onthe ground. Like when Ingrid was chained and starving, languishing in captivity, sick and hopeless, people would still call her nasty names, attack her, speak ill about her children, her mum, her husband, her family.

And now, when released, rescued, free, full of gratitude and joy she is still criticized for every word she says, for every step she takes, for every decision she takes. For some people she can't do ANYTHING right: if she thanks GOD, she should've thanked Bush, if she thanks URIBE she should have thanked the Colombian army, if she thanks the soldiers, she should've thanked the minister. She's damned if she does, damned if she doesn't.

Should she run for President? It's her choice, providing that the laws in Colombia would allow a person with a double citizenship become president. Should she be the Director of UNESCO? I'm sure that with her drive and connections she's do an excellent job. Should she retire from public life and be just a mother, wife, private citizen? I would absolutely understand that decision.

Can't we just let her spend some time being wined and dined, enjoy her family and her friends, recover from her ordeal without this feeling of hatred and resentment...for what?

There's one thing I absolutely don't understand....why all this hate? She's done NOTHING to deserve it.

"When shall we three meet again? In thunder, lightning, or in rain?"(First Witch in Macbeth)

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pobrecito says on Aug 22, 2008, 08:49:

"why all this hate? She's done NOTHING to deserve it"

You are entirely right, Desi.

The problem is that:

1) Ingrid has the french nationality and probably has not the intention to abandon it. It is a mortal sin for the chauvinists who think that Colombia is the only worthwhile country of the Earth.

2) For several years the great majority of colombian people have been forgetting Ingrid.
Only the French (with other european countries like Belgium) have popularized her situation and that of the other hostages. Without them, Ingrid and the others would have been sacrificed.
It is intolerable for those who did nothing for the hostages and feel themselves shitheads.

3) The partisans of Uribe do not tolerate the democratic debate. We see that on PBH everyday. If you do not agree with them on everything, you are a terrorist.

De que vale la vida si cuando la tenemos parece muerta. La vida es para sentirla, para vibrar, para luchar, para combatir. Eso justifica nuestro paso por la tierra........Jaime Pardo Leal

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Mr. Hollywood says on Aug 22, 2008, 09:37:

Desi, I understand and share your feelings about the sheer amount of malice directed Betancourt's way, but I have some guesses why it exists. I have a hunch that to an "average" Colombian, as much as there is such a thing, it once more looks like the wealthy and connected person (Ingrid) gets taken care of while the less-connected victims are still out there in the jungle. I'm not saying that's Ingrid's fault or even true, since I see her as largely a passive participant in the whole thing except for making the decision that led to her kidnapping. But it must be frustrating to a lot of people to see her held up as a hero or a saint and living in France while many others are still suffering or unaccounted for.

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