[3][4] Born of Cuban immigrants in San Juan, Betancourt came to America with his family in 1981 when he was 15, settling in Miami.
[5][6] Despite an early pursuit of architecture, he decided to pursue design, working in photography, painting, sculpture, installation, and performance art, among others.
[7] He opened a studio and storefront named "Imperfect Utopia" in South Beach which in the 1990s was visited by a number of celebrities.
[4] That same year, in November, he mounted a solo exhibition at the Puerto Rico Museum of Contemporary Art.
[12] His work is part of the permanent collection of the National Portrait Gallery of the United States.