Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-10-08-Speech-3-004"
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"en.20081008.1.3-004"2
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"− Ladies and gentlemen, President-in-Office of the Council, Commissioner, it gives me great satisfaction and a great feeling of admiration to welcome Ingrid Betancourt to the European Parliament today. A warm welcome to you, Mrs Betancourt!
Ladies and gentlemen, we must tirelessly continue our efforts to secure the release of all those who are still being deprived of their freedom. This is another reason for your visit to us today. You yourself said: ‘For a victim of terrorism, the greatest danger of all is to be forgotten. When I was in the jungle, I had a face and I had a name. I am now asking we do the same for those who stayed behind.’ Those were your words, and they still are. In the name of the European Parliament, we call today for this to happen.
This year we are celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 10 December 1948. This declaration presented the first worldwide, formal obligation to protect the dignity of each and every person and the equality of all people, without regard to skin colour, religion or origin. Article 3 of the declaration states: ‘Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.’
Many, many people have been deprived of their freedom because they have defended human rights. At the conference entitled ‘The defenders take the floor’, which is being organised this week here at the European Parliament, we have heard numerous testimonies from people who have been oppressed, arbitrarily arrested or forced into exile because of their fight for fundamental rights and freedoms. We have also had the opportunity to discuss in detail how we can better protect these people and support their work.
Mrs Betancourt, we are all honoured and delighted to ask you now to address the European Parliament.
The fact that you are with us today is a testimony to the fact that courageous people never give up hope in the fight for freedom and human dignity. After your release on 2 June 2008 I had the honour of writing to you on behalf of the European Parliament and welcoming you back to freedom. Now the moment has come for you to be here as our guest.
You were held captive for six years, four months and nine days. You alone know what you had to go through during those 2 321 days, but you have become a symbol of freedom throughout the world and a symbol of human resistance to enforced distress and the deprivation of fundamental human rights as well as a role model of dignity and courage for us all. Your children were with you all the way. I will never forget how your two children – your daughter and your son – sought me out several years ago when I was in a different role, and how they advocated for their mother. That was the love of children for their mother. You can be proud of your children!
Terrorism as practised by your kidnappers is a direct assault on our values, on freedom, on human dignity and on democracy.
Mrs Betancourt, your example shows us very clearly, yet again, that democracies must never retreat in the face of terrorism. It is a political and moral duty to ensure that the rule of law is always upheld.
During your captivity, many members of the European Parliament worked tirelessly for your release and I know that many representatives of the various Ingrid Betancourt committees are here today – active champions of your cause, people who are working for the freedom of all hostages in Colombia. I would like to greet and extend a warm welcome to all of you who spoke up on behalf of Ingrid Betancourt and are here in the European Parliament today."@en1
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