INGRID BETANCOURT

Is it ridiculous to play the Democracy game all by myself.

I carry the voices of all my family within me, and they were with me there in the jungle.

I love Colombia's military. I love my country.

I was forbidden to talk to my fellow hostages.

On one hand, it seems strange that a country that has suffered so much from violence and war would be debating if they want peace or not. But in Colombia, a part of society is deeply connected with the war as a means of making a living.

In Colombia, women are a huge factor for reconciliation. I have seen many strong women advocating for negotiations. I remember when the paramilitary were active, there were women close to the paramilitary asking for negotiations.

I have to forget in order to find peace in my soul and be able to forgive.

As a Colombian, the only way I can relate to my country is through suffering. I hope that my children and my grandchildren will relate to the beautiful country in a way that it is positive and loving.

Like in every peace process, and especially in Colombia, there all kinds of problems that will come through. Not only is the process by itself very complicated but it has lots of underground complications.

I want to tell President Sarkozy - and through him, all the French people - that they were our support, our light.

It's easy when you have suffered to feel the link with what others have gone through.

I don't want to be submerged by depression.

I want to serve my country, but not necessarily in the political arena.

I never say no to an ice cream.

Living in a jungle is not something easy; it's not something that you just adapt yourself to. And I think that in my case, I didn't want to adapt.

I called my party the Green Oxygen party because Colombians were choking.

I was in chains all the time, 24 hours a day, for three years. I tried to wear those chains with dignity, even if I felt that it was unbearable.

You only can rest when have the truth, even when it's horrible.

I didn't want to accept that people would forget me, that the government wouldn't do anything to negotiate our freedom. After a year, I came to understand that not only had one year passed, many more would come.

These years after my liberation were years of reconstruction, and I think I made the right decisions... I mean, I lost everything: my life; my father died; I didn't know anything about my children.

The voice of the Holy Father was like a light.

You are a free woman, and then you become a prisoner, and you receive all kinds of orders. Sit here, stand there. That's it. You just, you don't have the possibility of even moving to take your bag without asking for permission.

I think that the worst thing is realizing that mankind - that - that human beings can be so horrible to other human beings.

France is my home; you are my family. I am carrying all of you in my heart.

You need tremendous spirituality to stop yourself falling into the abyss.