"Words have a great impact on real life." "We must believe in the power of the word and its capacity to persuade and transform people." After more than six years of silence in the Colombian forest taken captive of the FARC (Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces), Ingrid Betancourt is taking her "word of peace" to the hemicycle of the European Parliament, which she praises for "being a worldwide example of democracy and dialogue." Invited by the President Hans-Gert Poettering to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (10th December 1948), the former candidate to the presidency, who is today an activist of human rights, declared that we must prevent conflicts by pursuing social justice. In the richest societies "we must start to guarantee to others the same right to wish what we wish." Ms Betancourt, who broke into tears many times, asked for the liberation of her friends, who are still held captive, and for democracy and peace in her country. But she also recalled the fact that the FARC have their own army "made of 15.000 young people who had no other options in their life except from becoming terrorists, thus spoiling their life and that of other people".
