Customer Reviews

UNTIL DEATH DO US PART: My Struggle to Reclaim Colombia

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(13)

 

 

That the author was born into a privileged family makes her courageous life all the more astonishing. I visited Colombia during this past year, and I know how extremely dangerous the country is for everyone--but Colombian Senator Ingrid Betancourt has really pushed the envelope in order to fight political corruption in her country.

What a remarkable woman, and what sacrifices she has made to remain an honest, outspoken legislator! She has risked not just her personal safety, but also missed watching her children grow up; since it is too dangerous for them to remain in Colombia with her, they must live in another country with their father.

The book tells a truly riveting story about Colombian politics from the late 1980s to the present. Its account of governmental corruption at the highest levels does a great service to U.S. readers--many of us are familiar with the Cali and Medellin drug cartel mayhem, and a few of us know about the guerrilla war going on at this moment, but most of us have no idea of the extent of political corruption that has been going on in Colombia. So thank you for this story, Ingrid Betancourt, but thank you especially for your stubborn courage--you are a true role model and what I would call a hero.

Having said that, I have two quibbles with the book regarding style and content. First, it looks as though the book was produced in such a hurry there was not sufficent time for editing in English, resulting in some typos and grammatical errors. Before a second printing takes place, I hope a good editor reviews the manuscript.

I also think a big problem with the book is that the most central issues in Colombia today are barely mentioned. I am referring to the guerrilla-paramilitary-Colombian military war, which is only mentioned hurriedly in the last two chapters, though this war has been going on during all the years described in the book. It is like ignoring the elephant in the living room to wait until the book is nearly over before mentioning this war--something a good editor should have addressed. Further, unless I missed it, and I don't think I did, there was no mention about Plan Colombia (the U.S. involvement in the war) accompanied by the current, poisonous spraying of Colombia's coca and poppy fields--the "chemical warfare on the poor" as a Colombian archbishop has termed it. We have no idea how the author feels about this horror, or the U.S. support of the corrupt Colombian military.

So read this book, but do educate yourself on the missing issues.[...]

You have had to live in Colombia to understand Betacourt's background. I remember one time, when I was at a mall and I ran into her. She was insulting one of her bodyguards. She felt empowered to do so because of her social class, and her last name. She did not fight corruption, families like her invented corruption, so lower class people couldn't get a position of "power". This lady was looking for free publicity when she overlooked the government's warnings, and she went and meet the FARC, in a very well known "red zone". With this she epowered them (FARC)for years, using Betancourt to get the "humanitarian exchange", meaning getting many of their troops out of jail, in exchange of some of their most important hostages. Even after this she looks down on people who is not in "her circle" I cannot believe her irresponsability, put her kids through all that pain. And now why doesn't she go to Colombia, and works for the rest of the hostages??? the policemens withouth the big last name? or the soldier without a dual citizenship?????? Oh I know... they don't speak french, and they know the truth about her, like every colombian does

The story this book tells about Ingrid Betancourt's political career is no doubt a very interesting one and it makes for an entertaining read. If this was the only material that I had ever read about Ingrid Betancourt I would probably think the world of her.

The problem is that the book is soaked with such an extreme bias. In every situation Ingrid paints herself as completely beyond reproach. Anybody who opposes her is a corrupt cheating manipulator and possesses no redeeming qualities. I know that there is plenty of corruption in Colombia, but is it really so black and white? Ingrid is good and everybody else is bad?

I understand that as humans we will almost always view our own actions favorably, but the positive light in which she portrays herself is so inconsistent with everything else that I have read and learned about her. I'm not saying that she is not capable of good, but nor is she the saint she makes herself out to be.

I would recommend reading "Out of Captivity" or doing a simple google search on her name to get another viewpoint of what Ingrid Betancourt is really like. Read what others who know more about her have to say and then come back and read Ingrid talk about how wonderful she is.

I am giving the book two stars (which according to Amazon means "I don't like it") because while the book is well written, I don't think it's a truthful portrayal of reality.

Please read "Out of Captivity" by the three Americans, and "Captive" by Clara Rojas to get a real view about who really Ingrid is.
Then decide if it is worthy buying this book. I have decided not to.

Read Out of Captivity first, then decide if you want to benefit this woman with your purchase of her book.

What a waste of money and time, this woman is full of lies and more lies, what a horrible way to waste time...This woman is a fake.

I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in the current situation in Colombia and in its politics, or in politics in general.

Even without an interest in Colombia or in politics, readers of all ages will be inspired by Ingrid Betancourt's story. She shows herself to be a courageous, intelligent, honest, and deeply compassionate woman. Reading about her real-life struggles against the corrupt powers that be in Colombia -- working not for her own gains but for the people of her country -- is more exciting, and chilling, than reading about the similar adventures of any fictional character. If this were fiction, it would be hard to believe.

Having been in Colombia and met many of the unempowered people to whom she dedicates her life, I can understand her commitment to them and to her country. Many "ordinary" Colombians share Ingrid's hopes for peace and real democracy, and many of them exhibit the same incredible courage that she shows in her book.

We can only pray that Ingrid will be as successful in her bid for the Presidency of Colombia in May 2002 as she was in her bid for Senator! It will be a fierce struggle, but she has already overcome many tremendous and frightening obstacles in her remarkable life.

I'm Colombian and unfortunately thought 'd be interesting reading some more about her case but after a couple pages I'd to put it back. Lost my money and my time and even worst it hurt my love for my country. All what you'll find here is a book full of lies of somebody trying to appear as the mayor victim in the world but she won't tell you the true why she got into this problem and the things she has done against our country. All what she cares is about making a lot of money using her case, but she won't do anything at all to help anybody even so that she's living and moving into the high classes in France and around the world. Very Sad; She's just not a nice and reliable person.

She said that she loves Colombia, but spoke to bad about the country and now she sued the goverment for the time she was kidnapped. She went to the El Caguan avoiding advices of Colombian goverment.

She clearly is self promoting and trying to make herself look good. She is a snake in the grass and every bit as dangerous and low as FARC scum who kidnapped her.