Ingrid Betancourt euphoria fades as Nicholas Sarkozy basks in glory

Times of London ^ | 07/09/08 | Charles Bremner

[TigerLikesRooster]

Ingrid Betancourt euphoria fades as Nicholas Sarkozy basks in glory

Ingrid Betancourt was given a Senate ovation but there were critical voices

Charles Bremner in Paris

After five days of her dramatic release being toasted, a backlash against Ingrid Betancourt yesterday was tainting the euphoria that has elevated the former Colombian hostage to saintlike status.

The French Senate gave an emotional standing ovation to the 46-year-old politician and magazines and television were still saturated by the image of what Paris Match called “the new global icon”.

But dissent surrounding Ms Betancourt, who was freed last week from the Colombian jungle after six years in captivity, has now spread from the internet to mainstream opinion, with some saying that France has overdosed on “Ingridmania”.

“It is irritating,” said Dominique Dhombres, a television columnist for Le Monde newspaper. “It’s a beautiful story about a beautiful woman, but she has been turned into the Madonna of modern times . . . Everything else has been forgotten and it suits Sarkozy fine,” he told The Times.

Mr Dhombres noted what the Paris Establishment was saying but the media had not mentioned: Ms Betancourt benefited from rivalry between two men: President Sarkozy and Dominique de Villepin, the last French Prime Minister, who is a close friend of the former captive.

[Polybius]

“It is irritating,” said Dominique Dhombres, a television columnist for Le Monde newspaper. “It’s a beautiful story about a beautiful woman, but she has been turned into the Madonna of modern times . . .

You'd think she was Barack Obama or something .......

[TigerLikesRooster]

Based on this article, if we take a rough analogy, Hanoi Jane was held hostage by NVA for 6 years, and Nixon rescued her. She was turned into a cult idol, who was greeted by Nixon at the airport, but Tom Hayen was not allowed to show up. Hanoi Jane thanks Nixon, and Tom Hayen and the New Left fume, complaining about “Jane-mania.”

[Army Air Corps]

Gallic Ping

[Liberty Valance]

[tarheelswamprat]

It would appear Sarko’s hired the Rolling Stone photographers... /grin

[Liberty Valance]

LOL! You might be right! ;o)

[Liberty Valance]

I take it you’re not talking about the top of the pyramid behind them ... ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45LFlkZhexw