Ingrid Betancourt is a former Colombian presidential candidate who was freed in July 2008 after six years in captivity at the hands of FARC guerrillas. Ms Betancourt, who has frequently spoken out against terrorism, had decided to campaign in an area with a strong guerrilla presence despite warnings not to do so. Along with 14 other hostages, she was rescued by Colombian security forces on 2 July 2008 in Operation Jaque, having spent a total of 2,321 days in captivity.

Addressing a formal sitting of the EP, in a passionate speech, Ingrid Betancourt spoke in depth about others around the world incarcerated against their will and the task of raising awareness of human rights violations globally. Ms Betancourt's key message was one of the power of discourse; "the only weapon we can believe in, is the force of words, there is nothing stronger than words." Ms Betancourt expressed her thanks to the EP's efforts in creating a public consensus for her plight.

Ingrid Betancourt is one of the eight women highlighted at the occasion of the International Women’s Day (IWD) which is held every year on 8 March.

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