Donne senza confini

MELANIE'S COURAGE

Melanie Delloye is 20 years old. She lives in Paris with her father where she studies sociology, she has many dreams, many desires and the typical girls insecurities of her age.
This could be the portrait of any Parisian girl but Melanie Delloye is better known as Melanie Betancourt, an important surname that has conditioned her life.

Melanie is Ingrid Betancourt daughter, senator, founder of the Party Green Oxygen and candidate to the 2002 Colombian presidential elections.
Unfortunately Ingrid has not been able to complete that electoral campaign because on 23 rd february 2002 her life is changed.

The nightmare start
It was one Saturday evening when Melanie answered to the phone call of her grandmother, Yolanda Pulecio (ex senator), "i need to talk with your father Melanie" they were the lapidary words. The news of the abduction of Ingrid by Farcs, the Colombian guerrilla, it has marked her life even if Melanie knew risks to which her mother was exposed.
Years before, when they lived in Colombia, they had been forced to make the suite-case in the night and to depart for the New Zeland to escape from death threats.
I have telephoned to Melanie Betancourt who has been having an examination at the university the day before.
Since her mother has been abducted, Melanie is in first line to find a solution for the over 3000 kidnapped by the Farcs, included her mother.
At 18 years old she has met ministers and heads of State, found support from France, to Canada, to Switzerland passing for Italy. 1273 cities in the world have conferred the honorary citizen to Ingrid Betancourt that she has become the symbol of the struggle against the endemic corruption in Colombia.


(Melanie Betancourt together with her grandmother Yolanda Pulecio during a demonstration in Paris to ask the liberation of er mother)

Ingrid as Melanie, has studied in France and this it has allowed her to have a more balanced vision of the Colombian democracy where according to Ingrid, the corruption is the cause of the all problems. When in 1989 the presidential candidate Luis Carlos Galan , who had based his politic campaign against the narcotraffic, was murdered, Ingrid decides that she cannot assist unarmed the destiny of Colombia. She begins her political run.
From that moment Melanie's life has not been the same anymore. Before she could spend time with her mother to the Seychelles and in New Zeland following her father, french diplomat but Ingrid Betancourt in that way she didn't feel useful for Colombia.
Among the love for her Country and the family, Ingrid has chosen Colombia! Melanie is not angry with her mother for this choice, she admires her mother for her struggle even if this has meant to live away from her.
"Life without my mother is difficult " says Melanie. "I would have liked to have her close to me in the most important phases of my life, I would have liked that she saw to grow my brother Lorenzo."
The political project of Ingrid is contained in her book translated in French, English, Italian and even in Japanese that has allowed to make her battle international.

Colombia in war
Ingrid Betancourt accused ex President Samper to have financed his electoral campaign with the proceeds of the drugs.
Being against the colombian political class, she has not had support when 23 February 2002 she went to St. Viciente, 600 km south from Bogotà, territory occupied by the Farcs, for the electoral campaign.
Ingrid wanted to bring her message to the local population surrendered to themselves in a territory where the war is daily.
What does Melanie think of the Farcs that they have abducted her mother? "To the beginning, when they were born in 1966, they also fought for the farmers' rights, to have a different Colombia, but when they have grasped the weapons their project is frustrated."
Today they are over 3000 kidnapped by the Farcs.
In the report of Amnesty International on Colombia, only in 2004 they have been abducted 1250 people, 287.000 have been forced to abandon their own residences and 1400 killed civilians or disappeared.
They are numbers by country in war but Government Uribe refuses to find a political solution. "I don't have trust in the President Uribe" says Melanie. "When my mother has been abducted he has promised us the maximum support. Today I ask that a believable negotiator is named for finding an accord."
The Farcs ask the guerrilleros' liberation held in the colombian jails, the Government doesn't intend to negotiate even if there are some positive signals. In December 2004, 23 prisoners have been released by government but the Farcs have not given a positive asnwer to this signal probably for a precise political strategy. The attacks of the 11 March 2004 in Madrid, have shown that the terrorist groups can condition the results of an electoral consultation and for this reason, perhaps, the Farcs have recently taken back the armed attacks.
The situation is complicated. The message of the President Chirac where last 13 june, he has asked liberation of Ingrid Betancourt, will it be enough?
"It is important to keep the attention on the matter of the kidnapped in Colombia and I thank all the Countries that are with us in this battle."
Melanie has not news of her mother since August 2003 when a video was diffused where Ingrid asked the liberation of the guerrilleros.

Possible solutions?
To the question on what Ingrid will do when she will return free, Melanie aswer without hesitation, "in that video over the tiredness I have still seen so much determination therefore I imagine that she will continue her politic battle."
Last months the chronicles of the European newspapers followed with trepidation the journalists' fate kidnapped in Iraq. Giuliana Sgrena, italian journalist kidnapped in Iraq, she has been freed thanks to the intervention of a task force of the Italian Government. I ask to Melanie if also the Colombian Government could follow the same strategy to free her mother. "It is not so simple. Colombia is not Iraq. Farcs immediately would know the moves of the army and however they move themselves very often in the jungle."
The President Uribe affirms that time will resolve everything but Melanie thinks in a different way. "We need to act to find an accord as soon as possible."
Before greeting Melanie Betancourt again a question about her future and her life plans, "at the moment I don't know what I will do with my life. I am studying sociology at the university and I want hug my mother as soon as possible."
Whoever wanted to have more information and to know initiatives in progress, can consult the official website www.betancourt.info

Federico Bastiani