13 July 2010

COLOMBIA: Ex-Hostage Claims Betancourt's "Arrogance" Got Her Captured.

CREPORTS/           Former U.S. contactor and FARC hostage, Keith Stansell spent 5 years in captivity with Ingrid Betancourt. He now says that the ex-presidential candidate was aware of the dangers of entering Colombia's formerly demilitarized zone (DMZ) the day of her kidnapping. "She told me that when she left for El Caguan, the authorities had taken away her bodyguards because there was a threat and the authorities and the general didn't want to put the lives of the bodyguards at risk. Period ... She took it as if they were trying to take away some kind of authority from her and she continued to go ahead in car, covered in campaign stickers and look what happened," Stansell said. "This is just my opinion, it was her own arrogance that got her kidnapped. Period. No more. It's obvious to everyone that there the authorities understood very well that the highway conditions were very dangerous ... and she told me that very clearly in the jungle. Why is she now changing her account?"