In front of the media gathered at the headquarters of her political party Verde Oxigeno, Ingrid Betancourt is relaxed, smiling. On this cool February morning in Bogotá, she unveils her anti-corruption program. His burgundy-colored jacket contrasts with the green background with the effigy of the environmentalist party and the colors of the Colombian flag. “We all know that Colombia is a rich country, she throws. But we Colombians are poor. Our economy is like a bottomless barrel. A substantial part of what we earn by working goes directly into the pockets of the corrupt. I want to fill this hole. »
Second candidacy, twenty years later
To achieve this ambitious goal, the candidate for the presidential election on May 29 is proposing a special tribunal dedicated to the fight against ” this plague “, the creation of a financial compensation fund for victims and the establishment of an ad hoc group to investigate the subject. Her program extends a fight that began twenty years ago when she first launched herself into the race for the presidency, before being kidnapped on February 23, 2002, by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc ). She spent more than six years in the jungle, hostage to them.
→ ANALYSIS. Colombia: ex-Farc apologize for kidnappings committed during the conflict
The images of Ingrid Betancourt chained, emaciated and surrounded by guerrillas have gone around the world. But if the Colombians recognize his tenacity and his will, they seem less convinced by other aspects of his personality, and by his program. “It is very difficult to consider her as our representative because she has lived a lot of time in France”, believes Nicolas Amador, a student in political science. At 18, he will vote for the first time this year. “She is disconnectedout of our reality, he believes. The Colombia into which my generation was born is trAnds different from that experienced by Ingrid Betancourt, when violence was on edge. Today Colombia faces other problAndmy. »
A candidacy that raises doubts
The country has experienced, and is still facing, an unprecedented social crisis. The pandemic and repeated confinements have increased poverty and precariousness. According to Yann Basset, political scientist and professor of social sciences at the University of Rosario in Bogotá, “Ingrid Betancourt has two faces: on the one hand, she is the representative of the victims, a very respected figure; on the other, it’s the female politician with the same discourse against the corrupt political class that was very popular in the 1990s. Today, it has become a cliché. Even the most traditional and patronage politicians in the country use it. We expect more than a speech against corruption. »
According to a survey for the magazine Week, Ingrid Betancourt would gather 7% of the voting intentions, which places her in third place for the time being. Nothing to worry about the favorite in the polls, Gustavo Petro, former mayor of Bogotá and candidate for the Pacto Historico, a coalition of left-wing parties. Roy Barreras, one of the leaders of the Pacto Historico, says he is confident: “I don’t think Ingrid Betancourt is really our rival. She is not the only victim. One of his fellow prisoners, whose name is Orlando Beltran, is a member of our party. Today, he is running for Congress. We prefer not to use pain and victimization as a political campaign argument. »
This one has only just begun, and the suitors are not yet all known. Primaries will take place in March to designate the candidates of the main coalitions. Including that of the center, in which Ingrid Betancourt intended to participate, before deciding to go it alone.