Cartas a mamá desde el infierno

by Ingrid Betancourt

On December 1, 2007, during the arrest of several guerillas in Bogotá, the Colombian police confiscated a short video clip of political hostage Ingrid Betancourt. Accompanying the video was a twelve-page letter, dated October 24, 2007, written by Betancourt to her mother and family.



Kidnapped on February 23, 2002, Betancourt has become an international symbol in the struggle for liberty and the fight against barbarity. Before being captured by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), she was a voice of hope for the Colombian people, leading a courageous fight against political corruption, violence, and illegal detentions.



Presented in this small, poignant book is Betancourt’s letter to her mother printed in English, French, and Spanish. From the depths of the Colombian jungle, Betancourt’s words are an impassioned declaration of love to those dearest to her.



In addition to this letter is a response to Betancourt written by her children, who since they were teenagers have rallied public support for their mother’s release. With a preface by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Elie Wiesel, Letters to My Mother conveys a powerful message of love for family and country, and a heartrending plea for freedom.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Autobiography, International

Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Former Colombian politician, mostly known for being kidnapped by the FARC.

Was voted in the Colombian congress in 1998 and was kidnapped by the FARC in 2002 during her presidential campaign until she was freed in 2008.

Reviews

[Christos · Rating 2 out of 5]

Αγορά από το παζάρι βιβλίου με 2 ευρώ. Δεν βρήκα κάτι το ιδιαίτερο.

[Anthro.Grafeas · Rating 3 out of 5]

《Η ζωή εδώ δεν είναι ζωή, είναι μια μακάβρια σπατάλη χρόνου. [...] Εδώ, τα πάντα έχουν δύο όψεις, η χαρά μπερδεύεται με τον πόνο, η ευτυχία είναι μελαγχολική, η αγάπη γιατρεύει και ταυτόχρονα ανοίγει καινούργιες πληγες' όταν θυμάσαι ζεις και πεθαίνεις ξανά.》

Κολομβία, 2002. Η Ίνγκριντ Μπετανκούρ περιοδεύει στη νότια Κολομβία στο πλαίσιο της προεκλογικής της εκστρατείας. Είναι μια δυναμική γυναίκα πολιτικός, η οποία έχει θέσει υποψηφιότητα για την προεδρία της χώρας. Η περιοδεία της ανακόπτεται βίαια από την απαγωγή της. Οι αντάρτες της FARC (Επαναστατικές Ένοπλες Δυνάμεις Κολομβίας) απαγάγουν την Μπετανκούρ και την οδηγούν αιχμάλωτη στη ζούγκλα του Αμαζονίου.

5 χρόνια μετά την αιχμαλωσία της Μπετανκούρ, οι FARC της ζητούν να γράψει μια επιστολή ως τεκμήριο του ότι είναι ακόμη ζωντανή. Τη χρησιμοποιούν για να διαπραγματευτουν με την κυβέρνηση, καθώς είναι το πιο σημαντικό πρόσωπο υπό αιχμαλωσία. Η Ίνγκριντ γράφει μια 12σελιδη επιστολή που απευθύνεται στη μητέρα της. Το παρόν βιβλίο περιέχει αυτή την επιστολή.

Η Ίνγκριντ γράφει συναισθηματικά μουδιασμένη. Δεν ζει, επιβιώνει. Επιβίωση για την ίδια συνιστά μια προσπάθεια διατήρησης της ταυτότητας της. Έχει χάσει την όρεξη για φαγητό, μαλλιά, κουράγιο αλλά διατηρεί μέσα της σαν σπίθα, που της δίνει τη δύναμη να ξύπνα κάθε πρωί, την ελπίδα. Σκέφτεται την μητέρα της, τα παιδιά της, τα πρόσωπα που με τη έννοια τους την κρατούν στη ζωή. Σκέφτεται την πολιτική της καριέρα. Τί απομένει από την ίδια, μετά την πάροδο τόσων ετών αιχμαλωσίας;

Το γράμμα της Ίνγκριντ στη μητέρα της δεν είναι μια δακρύβρεχτη σπαρακτική επιστολή. Είναι μια βαθιά κατάθεση ψυχής που αποτυπώνει τα όρια της ανθρωπινότητας υπό συνθήκες που συνηγορούν στην απανθωποποίηση. Ο αγώνας αντίστασης στη βία και διατήρησης των στοιχείων που μας ορίζουν ως ανθρώπους είναι διαρκώς παρόντες στην επιστολή και έρχονται να μας θυμίσουν όλα όσα θεωρούμε δεδομένα αλλά και όσα δεν θα έπρεπε. Μια ολιγοσέλιδη μαρτυρία που δυστυχώς είναι εξαντλημένη πλέον στα βιβλιοπωλεία αλλά αξίζει να της αφιερώσετε λίγο χρόνο αν πέσει στα χέρια σας.

[Amari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Se puede leer esto en una hora. Realmente vale la pena; ademas, saber que ha pasado en las vidas de Ingrid Betancourt y sus familiares es, en su manera, una oportunidad -- de convertirse en una version mas paciente, reflexiva, frustrada, sencilla, rabiosa, y sabia de si mismo. Pero no se trata de nosotros, los lectores, sino de nosotros, los activistas. Lean este libro para formar parte del mundo real y cruel y para cambiarlo en cualquier manera posible...

This book can be read in one hour. It is truly worth it; in addition, to know what has happened in the lives of Ingrid Betancourt and her family is, in its own way, an opportunity -- to become a more patient, thoughtful, frustrated, simple, furious, and wise version of oneself. But it's not about us, the readers: it's about us, the activists. Read this book to be part of the real, cruel world and to change it in whatever manner you can...

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book / essay was written before Ingrid Bentancour was released. It's quite political but also very moving when you consider she wrote it to her kids at a time she did not think she would survive.

[Kelly Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written to her children while she was held captive by drug lords of South America.

[MagicThorn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fine ord som gjør vondt å lese

[musadelaluna]

Este es otro libro más el cual no calificó ya que es una experiencia de la vida; Lo que puedo decir es que este libro es la realidad de muchas personas y algo que tristemente pasa en toda Latinoamérica incluyendo México, que no se queda atrás con respecto a todos los cárteles.

[Kate Readings]

No considero sea tan correcto calificar el libro siendo una obra que reproduce dos cartas: La primera es escrita por Ingrid Betancourt durante su secuestro por parte de las FARC en Colombia. Actualmente se encuentra en libertad. La segunda carta escita por su hija Melanie y su hijo Lorenzo en respuesta a la carta de Ingrid.
Son las voces y el sentir de una familia que fue separada por una guerra civil como muchas otras...

[Shawn · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is Ms Betancourt THIRD book about her kidnapping (actually third book in English she has other in other languages).... When she wrote this she must have wrote this thinking "Let's milk this for everything I can"...or "maybe if people think about my mother and children they will hate me less"

Before going to Colombia South America I went though and checked out and read every book I could about the country from my library. This was one of the books.

While Mrs Betancount went through a harrowing time (she was captured and held by Colombia guerrilla's) she both deserved it (she was advised not to go into the area and told the area was so dangerous the government would not guard her) and her behavior both before, during and after the event was extremely selfish. Because of her arrogance and feelings of self importance she repetitively put the lives of others in danger. The way she treated her fellow captives is horrific. In one instance she actually said things that could have lead to several other captives being killed so she didn't have to share a room!!!

When I got to Colombia I finally got the courage to ask people about her (since Betancourt told me in her book how important she was to Colombia and how much she was loved I was reluctant to say anything since my own opinion was so strong) and found the in general the Colombia people felt as I did about her. This lady is hated and for good reason.

A note on Colombia. Colombia is a beautiful country with some amazing nice generous people (Betanourt is French) and I HIGHLY recommend visiting it. The tales of Colombia's violence and kidnapping are for the most part are a thing of the past. I actually felt safer in Colombia than many other South American countries.

[beatriz morais · Rating 5 out of 5]

As ideologias e os lados presentes na política contemporânea, na maioria das vezes, causam estragos. Os grandes grupos de "revolução", visando mudar o mundo, acabam por destruir ou traumatizar vidas por séculos e séculos, consecutivamente, desde a existência do mais burro pensamento humano.

É triste ler a carta que Betancourt escreveu para os filhos dela porque, quando ela o fez, não sabia se sairia viva dali; os filhos, a mãe, a família não sabiam se ela estava viva, e um dos pequenos pontos de alegria desse livro se fez ao imaginar a família sabendo que sim, ela estava vivendo.

[Dorthe Svendsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hadde ett ønske om å fordype meg og få flere sider sv saken etter å ha lest den norske siden av frrdsforhandlingne. Denne var fin og fæl på samme tid. Ett innblikk jeg sent vil glemme. Ser frem til å lese mer fra henne faktisk. Spennende liv!

[Varvara Nikolaidou · Rating 1 out of 5]

Αν λάβουμε υπόψη τις συνθήκες κάτω απ τις οποίες γράφτηκε αυτό το μακροσκελές γράμμα, δεν με συντάραξε καθόλου. Το μόνο που βρήκα κάπως συγκινητικό ήταν οι πρώτες λίγες σελίδες όπου εκφράζει την αγάπη προς τη μητέρα της. Δεν το περίμενα τόσο αδιάφορο.

[Aleja Godoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un relato muy crudo que te lleva a ver a los secuestrados más allá de un número en la noticias, si no como seres humanos con vidas, familias. Seres que sufren, que están viviendo situaciones por las que nadie debería pasar.

[Osvaldo Camacho · Rating 2 out of 5]

Un texto brevísimo, en muchos aspectos carente de sustancia, no hay mucho que comentar realmente.

[Kendra Sanseverino · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is touching, especially the answer by her children, but it is also very, very lengthy, wordy and private and difficult to read. I would have preferred a kind of report with quotes from the letter and other people. However, when the book was published Ingrid Betancourt was still held captive so it is of course an important outcry, a political manifesto and a testimony of love and hope against all odds.

[Oscar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Una sola palabra: curiosidad. Este libro me causo curiosidad (y como era extremadamente corto) lo adquiri y lei.

Yo vivia en Colombia durante parte del cautiverio de Betancourt y por ende me resultaba interesante la historia.

Lo mas correcto hubiera sido que me lea su libro, extenso por cierto, pero no me anime a hacerlo. Parece demasiado largo. Tal vez en el futuro lo haga.