Betancourt speaks as free woman

2008-07-03 09:48

Bogota, Colombia - Comments by kidnapped presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt, a dual French national, who was freed along with 14 other hostages by the Colombian military after being held for more than six years by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia.

On her gratitude:

"Thanks to all of you who accompanied me in your prayers, who thought of me and kept me in your hearts, who felt compassion for us hostages and had us live in your lives, and rejected those who said the only solution was to wait."

"Thank you Colombia, thank you France. All Colombians know we have brothers on the other side of the Atlantic. All Colombians who go to France know they're welcome because France shelters us, protects us, fights for us, and I know that with President (Nicolas) Sarkozy, with all French people, with all Europe, with the whole world that has supported us, we're going to keep fighting for the freedom of those who are still left behind ..."

"I owe a lot to the media. If it hadn't been for you I probably wouldn't be alive. I owe a lot to those who gave us space on the radio to have a chance to communicate with our families. We were able to dream and keep hope alive because we heard our families, my mother, our children."

On the rescue:

"The helicopters arrived and surreal characters came out... men dressed with logos that certified them to be delegates of I don't know what. I looked and I thought: and these guys? ... What kind of international committee is this?"

"They closed the helicopter's doors and I saw the commander who for four years had been in charge of us, who had been cruel, humiliating and despotic so many times. I saw him on the floor, naked, blindfolded. I don't think I felt happiness, but rather pity, but I thanked God that I was with people who respect other people's lives, even when they are enemies.

"Then the chief of the operation said, 'We're from the National Army and you're free!' The helicopter almost fell from the sky because we all jumped, shouted, cried and embraced. We couldn't believe it."

On rebel captors they left behind:

"The people who are still there, the guerrillas that were our guards, we left them alive, I hope that they can stay alive and I hope they won't be unjustly dealt with for what happened. The operation was perfect."

On hostages left behind:

"Let this instance of happiness not let us forget the others who have died."

"Peace must be made with the promise that there are no more kidnappings.... Everyone has to feel that this national union is going to help us to get them all back safe and sound."

On attempts by Venezuela's Hugo Chavez and Ecuador's Rafael Correa to mediate:

"I think that they're important allies for this process, but under the condition that must be respect for Colombian democracy. Colombians elected Alvaro Uribe, Colombians did not elect the FARC."

On her own political future:

"I continue to aspire to serve Colombia as president. ... (For now) "I'm just one more soldier."

- AP