Ingrid Betancourt sparked new controversy for bringing up an episode of depression in Gustavo Petro

The presidential debate on Monday, March 14, organized by the newspaper El Tiempo and the magazine Semana left a very tough confrontation between its three participants: Gustavo Petro, Ingrid Betancourt and Federico Gutiérrez. One of the moments that went viral the most was when the Green Oxygen aspirant took a mental health problem she faced years ago in the face of the Bishop of the Historical Pact.

Petro and Betancourt began to face their public offices of the past and even Piedad Córdoba came to the fore after the candidate questioned whether petrianism received “kidnappers” and traditional politicians.

At that time, the Historic Pact candidate responded by asking not to be slandered and explained how political groups were formed for the legislative elections. “Don't slander me. Comunos is a list that was agreed with the Santos government, which made an independent election to the Historical Pact. In the Historical Pact there is not a single member of Comunes,” Petro replied.

It was there that the mood warmed up and the candidate reminded Betancourt that she worked as an advisor in the Ministry of Finance during the administration of César Gaviria. This situation would be contradictory, given that Ingrid has been one of the main criticisms of today's head of liberalism joining Petro.

“What government did you work in when you were appointed to the Belgian Embassy?” , Betancourt replied, to which Petro assured that he went to that country because they wanted to kill him in Colombia and did not miss an opportunity to question his opponent another question at the polls.

There, Ingrid Betancourt launched the reproachable message questioning her from different sectors of the country, for exposing the mental health of the also head of Human Colombia. “Don't rewrite history, the country knows the fight I fought against Samper. While you were at your embassy, I was fighting here, denouncing (Samper's) funding,” he said and the next exchange of messages was recorded.

“They were going to kill me and I quit, do you know why?” said Petro.

“I think you have Alzheimer's. I honestly don't think you've seen. And in fact, when I went to visit Gustavo, I remember that he was in a big depression, lying on the floor, unable to move. I'm not going to get involved in your private life, Gustavo, but what the country knows is that if there is anyone who confronted Ernesto Samper, it was me,” said the candidate of Oxygen Green,” said Ingrid Betancourt.

Those comments sparked the reaction of public opinion and from Petro's supporters, to some contradictors, as well as hundreds of Internet users, took it against Betancourt for using someone's mental health as a political strategy.

“I'm sorry, but Ingrid Betancourt fell very low today. What a bad human being he is,” wrote Congressman Katherine Miranda.

“It is reproachable that Ingrid Betancourt uses a disease such as depression to make politics. Let someone tell you that in 2021, 2,350 people committed suicide, 1,903 men, 447 women and among them 255 minors. One of the highest rates in recent years,” said Senator-elect Martha Peralta Epieyú.

“I have suffered from depression and thanks to God and my family I got ahead. Because of the hatred that Ingrid Betancourt and Federico Gutiérrez infuse is that I want Petro to be our president. My dad has Alzheimer's and without a doubt he is much more humane than those two,” former petrianism candidate Alfredo Saade wrote on Twitter.

“What's wrong with having depression and being broken down. Isn't that part of being human? What is very serious in a person is to be opportunistic,” questioned the human rights defender and director of the Minga Association, Diana Sánchez Lara.

Like these, there are hundreds of comments in which they question the candidate of Oxygen Green.

After the controversy, the woman justified herself and assured that she did not regret the controversial moment that has not stopped being discussed in public opinion.

He added: “We have become very correctly political and we can't say anything anymore, but that is the human reality. We all have diseases, situations, the fact that we name them does not mean that one is, say, affecting those who suffer from that disease, that situation or that moment in life,” he said.

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