About the Speaker
Clara
Rojas
Colombian lawyer, politician, and former victim of terrorism
Clara Rojas is a Colombian lawyer and politician who was held captive for six years by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), a guerrilla group. In 2002, Rojas was serving as manager of the presidential campaign for former Sen. Ingrid Betancourt when they were both abducted in southern Colombia by FARC guerrillas. She became the director of Free Country, an organization that counsels the relatives of hostages, and wrote three books, including a memoir of her time as a hostage called “Captive.” In March 2014, Rojas was elected to a seat in the Colombian Congress. Rojas remains a high-profile public figure in Colombia.