LAC Main Seminar Series: Personal Reflections on the FARC

Convener: Dr David Doyle

Speaker: Ingrid Betancourt

Born December 25, 1961, in Colombia, Ingrid Betancourt is a french-colombian activist in the cause of freedom. She was a  politician and presidential candidate in Colombia, celebrated for her determination to combat widespread corruption. In February 2002 she was taken hostage by the FARC, a communist guerrilla organization. For six and a half years, the FARC held her hostage in the Amazonian jungle. She was rescued on July 2, 2008. She has received multiple international awards, including the French National Order of the Légion d’Honneur, the Spanish Prince of Asturias Prize of Concord, the Italian Prize Grinzane Cavour, and was nominated to the Nobel Peace Prize for her commitment to democratic values, freedom and tolerance.