Ingrid Betancourt was a presidential Candidate in 2002 in Colombia. While campaigning she was kidnap by the revolutionary Army Forces of Colombia (FARC). She was held hostage for about six years. On July 3rd she was released with another 14 hostages, including three American's. The news of her release was known worldwide, she was interview by BBC, CNN, and she was in the cover of the New York Times.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7486552.stm
http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/0703/betancourti.html
The other three American's that were released with her did not get as much media cover as Ms. Betancourt did, they were also hostage for about the same time, and separated from their family as Ms. Betancourt. The NY times as well as BBC only cover very little about the Three American which work. Although, the Boston Globe did a little more reaserach on the three hostages.
The trio - Marc Gonsalves, Thomas Howes and Keith Stansell - have now arrived back in San Antonio, Texas, where they will undergo medical tests and be reunited with their families. BBC
The three Americans, Marc Gonsalves, Keith Stansell and Thomas Howes, were captured in 2003 while working for the Northrop Grumman Corporation after their surveillance plane went down on an antinarcotics mission for the Pentagon. NY Times
One of the contractors, Thomas Howes, is a native of Cape Cod who had settled in Florida. Howes and the other two, Marc Gonsalves and Keith Stansell, were flown directly to the United States to reunite with their families and undergo tests and treatment at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio. They had been the longest-held American hostages in the world. Boston Globe
Ingrid had an interview with Larry King describing how the hostages were saved, and her experience.http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/americas/07/09/king.betancourt.intw/index.html?
As well, BBC interviewed her but they focus on how she was able to listen to BBC while she was captive and this was her only media to the outside world. http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/news/2008/07/080711_betancourtbbc_sl.shtml
Betancourt is a French citizens as well, she also got a lot of coverage in Europe. It is clear that the rescue of the 15 hostages was a very important event, but how does a foreigner get more media attention here in the US that a US citizen?
http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3830568758780210148
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