Mother of rescued (US) American receives Colombian nationality
Posted on Thu, Sep. 18, 2008
Ex-hostage's mom, once a critic, turns Colombian
By FRANK BAJAK
Before her son's rescue in July, the mother of a U.S. military contractor held captive by leftist rebels often swore at Colombian President Alvaro Uribe.
Now, Jo Rosano is about to swear allegiance to his country.
The Bristol, Connecticut, woman plans to become a Colombian citizen in Washington on Friday, when Uribe meets Marc Gonsalves and two fellow ex-hostages for the first time.
Uribe, who gave the order that launched the Colombian military's rescue of the three men, personally approved Rosano's citizenship application and will give her the oath.
"I love Colombia and I love the people," Rosano told The Associated Press in a telephone interview.
Rosano was a bitter critic of Uribe's hard line against her son's captors during his five years as a hostage of Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia. She publicly opposed the president's preference for a military rescue over negotiations that could lead to a prisoner swap with the rebels.
"Now I understand what he was up against," said Rosano, 59, explaining that as a mother seeking Gonsalves' safe return she "had to more or less kiss the FARC's butt."
On July 2, military agents rescued the three contractors and 12 other hostages after tricking the guerrillas into believing that an international humanitarian group was going to transfer the captives to another rebel camp by helicopter.
After his rescue, Gonsalves told his mother that guerrillas had informed him they had orders to kill him immediately if a rescue was attempted.
Rosano said she fell in love with Colombia during three visits after her son's surveillance plane crashed near a rebel camp in February 2003, beginning the long ordeal for Gonsalves, Keith Stansell and Thomas Howes.
"I knew nothing about Colombia until my son got caught up in all this," said Rosano, who speaks just a few words of Spanish.
She said she recently spoke with Ingrid Betancourt, the dual French national and former presidential candidate who was freed with the three Americans and 11 other Colombians.
"She said, "I love you like a mother,'" said Rosano, who counts Betancourt's mother, Yolanda Pulecio, among the Colombians she holds dear.
Rosano's Colombian citizenship is exceptional: Foreign Ministry official Claudia Sinning told the AP that Uribe has granted waivers of the usual requirements to only 40 other foreigners since he took office in 2002.
Gonsalves, Stansell and Howes have generally spurned interview requests and are seeking a book deal.
But last month, they spoke with Colombian radio, using fluent, slang-laced Spanish to announce plans to make a motorcycle tour in the United States aimed at calling attention to the dozens of Colombians still being held hostage by the FARC. Rosano said the trip will likely take place in February.
The three men received motorcycles from Harley-Davidson when they attended the bike company's late-August convention in Milwaukee, Rosano said.
The rescued Americans' employer, Northrop Grumman, also has been good to them, guaranteeing the three jobs when they're ready to return to work, Rosano said.
Rosano told the AP she wants peace in Colombia, and "I want to be able to go back some day."
But for now she's not giving up her U.S. citizenship, nor does she or Gonsalves, 36, plan to visit Colombia anytime soon, for fear of being targeted by the FARC.
"Even my son said to me, 'Mom, don't go to Colombia. You'll be a sitting duck for them,'" she said.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/americas/story/692432.html">http://www.miamiherald.com/news/americas/story/692432.html
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© 2008 Miami Herald Media Company. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.miamiherald.com
By Simon on Sep 19, 2008, 18:38 in Politics & the war.
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Simon says on Sep 19, 2008, 18:51: Presidente Uribe otorgará nacionalidad colombiana a la mamá de uno de los estadounidenses rescatados "DON'T FOK WITH COLOMBIA!!"-----Simon 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
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Simon says on Sep 19, 2008, 19:00: Septiembre 19 de 2008 "DON'T FOK WITH COLOMBIA!!"-----Simon 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
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Simon says on Sep 19, 2008, 20:01: It's a great gift you $#%$ bigot! "DON'T FOK WITH COLOMBIA!!"-----Simon 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
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Simon says on Sep 19, 2008, 20:21: Not as silly as your comment. "DON'T FOK WITH COLOMBIA!!"-----Simon 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
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dwmte7 says on Sep 19, 2008, 20:48: simon...thank you very much for sharing this with us. i hope that the lady takes uribe's invitation and goes and visits colombia. she'll see that the REAL colombia isn't the cess pool that farc has created. she'll see what i discovered and maybe, just maybe, fall in love as i have done. dwmte 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
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Mongo says on Sep 19, 2008, 21:15: To all you Uribe haters out there - Wise up! Like this lady did! She realized that Uribe is doing the best he can with what he has to work with. Isn't it obvious that he wants what is best for his country? She thinks he's done a great job, and she definitely knows more about it than any of you! Beware of dog. 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
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Simon says on Sep 19, 2008, 21:15: Douglas, "DON'T FOK WITH COLOMBIA!!"-----Simon 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
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billyb says on Sep 19, 2008, 21:26: I agree with Simon, it would be too dangerous for her to return to Colombia anytime soon, but I do wonder when that skank mother of another hostage shows some class and takes back all the shit she talked for the past six years.
0 funny, 0 helpful. |
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Simon says on Sep 19, 2008, 21:28: Billyb....I agree 100%! "DON'T FOK WITH COLOMBIA!!"-----Simon 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
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dwmte7 says on Sep 20, 2008, 06:14: what happened to the hostage (i'm too old to remember names) who had the colombian lady friend who was a hostess for avianca, previously.? didn't they have twin children? for everyones safety--i guess--all this dropped off the radar. dwmte 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
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paisa29 says on Sep 20, 2008, 06:55: What a beautiful story! "Fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality" Conrad Hilton 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
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Simon says on Sep 20, 2008, 07:40: At least I have a mother, Truthseeker. "DON'T FOK WITH COLOMBIA!!"-----Simon 0 funny, 1 helpful. |
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Simon says on Sep 20, 2008, 07:41: Dwmte, "DON'T FOK WITH COLOMBIA!!"-----Simon 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
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Monpirri says on Sep 20, 2008, 08:03: Simon, thanks for sharing this article. The life spam of a taste bud is ten days 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
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Simon says on Sep 20, 2008, 08:25: ByronKostner, "DON'T FOK WITH COLOMBIA!!"-----Simon 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
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Simon says on Sep 20, 2008, 08:44: And you're nothing but the new GIB, another ungrateful, xenophobic prick who apparently only moved to Colombia just to bitch and complain! "DON'T FOK WITH COLOMBIA!!"-----Simon 1 funny, 0 helpful. |
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dwmte7 says on Sep 20, 2008, 09:43: common brothers....we're all here cause we love colombia. it's a part of us by choice or birth but the feeling is mutual. we don't need to bicker and pickle over non important issues. dwmte 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
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Simon says on Sep 20, 2008, 09:49: "as for all of us, we make much better friends, than enemys....the farc is the enemy." "DON'T FOK WITH COLOMBIA!!"-----Simon 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
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MaFe says on Sep 20, 2008, 11:04: Bravo Billy...hopefully all the other mother's will take back their comments!! "All human actions have one or more of these seven causes: chance, nature, compulsions, habit, reason, passion, desire. "-Aristotle 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
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Titofijo says on Sep 20, 2008, 17:13: I met Simon before.I feel sorry for you, bro. I hope your sick mother is feeling better . Are you still working at the car wash?
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Simon says on Sep 20, 2008, 17:54: The one who lives in a country he doesn't like is ByronKostner! "DON'T FOK WITH COLOMBIA!!"-----Simon 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
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Monpirri says on Sep 21, 2008, 13:09: Hey Titofijo and Truthseeker there is NO need to talk about any pbh member's mom on this forum. The life spam of a taste bud is ten days 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
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MaFe says on Sep 21, 2008, 13:54: Tito & truth...are you guys 10 years old? Can you carry an adult argument without pointing fingers at mother's? "All human actions have one or more of these seven causes: chance, nature, compulsions, habit, reason, passion, desire. "-Aristotle 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
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