Former FARC hostage Betancourt wants to become Colombia president | Abroad

“I want to finish what I started in 2002,” said 60-year-old Betancourt. She hopes to become the candidate on behalf of the center parties. If she is nominated, she can participate in the first round of elections on May 29.

According to Betancourt, Colombia is “ready for a change of course.” As a center candidate, she sees herself as an alternative to conservative incumbent president Iván Duque and popular left-wing candidate Gustavo Petro.

In 2016, the FARC and the Colombian government signed a peace agreement. This brought a 52-year conflict to an end. A special tribunal is prosecuting multiple FARC leaders for kidnapping at least 21,000 people and recruiting thousands of children. Last year, Betancourt himself met with leaders of the former rebel group.

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