Colombia Rescues Ingrid Betancourt, Americans From FARC

Wednesday July 2, 2008, 3:48 pm
Colombia says rescues Betancourt, 3 U.S. hostages
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080702/ts_nm/colombia_hostages_dc

BOGOTA (Reuters) - French-Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt, three Americans and 11 other hostages held for years in jungle captivity were rescued on Wednesday from leftist guerrillas by Colombian troops posing as aid workers.
All of the former captives were in reasonably good health despite having been held in harsh conditions, often chained by the neck by their rebel captors, Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos said.

The rescue was a huge coup for popular President Alvaro Uribe, an anti-guerrilla hard-liner who has used billions of dollars in U.S. aid to push the rebels onto the defensive, cut crime and spark economic growth.

Betancourt was the highest profile captive held by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, known as the FARC, Latin America's oldest surviving left-wing insurgency.

The rescue was carried out in the southern jungle province of Guaviare, Santos said. Soldiers posed as members of a fictitious non-government organization that supposedly would fly the hostages by helicopter to a camp to meet with rebel leader Alfonso Cano.

"The helicopters, which in reality were from the army, picked up the hostages in Guaviare and flew them to freedom," Santos said. Two guerrillas were captured in the operation.

Fifteen long-term kidnap victims were rescued in all, including Betancourt and the three Americans, he said.

"This was an unprecedented operation," Santos told reporters. "It will go down in history for its audaciousness and effectiveness."

The FARC has been holding about 40 high-profile hostages it has sought to exchange for jailed rebels.

Betancourt, 46, a former presidential candidate, had become a symbol of the suffering of the hostages as her dual French-Colombian nationality helped draw worldwide attention to their plight.

BETANCOURT AT MILITARY BASE

French President Nicolas Sarkozy said Betancourt was in good health and despatched his Foreign Minister, Bernard Kouchner, in a plane to Colombia.

"Today a nightmare of more than six years has ended. Ingrid is in good health," Sarkozy said at the presidential palace, surrounded by Betancourt family members who were set to accompany Kouchner to Colombia.

The president's office said earlier that Betancourt was at a military base in Colombia, and that Sarkozy had had a long conversation with Uribe.

In his statement, Sarkozy also said France would take in any FARC members who gave up their arms.

Betancourt was kidnapped by the FARC in 2002 and was last seen in a rebel video at the end of last year looking ill, gaunt and despondent.

"I am filled with happiness," Betancourt's sister, Astrid, told Colombian radio. "These have been long years of waiting."

France had made vigorous efforts to seek Betancourt's freedom.

Thursday July 3, 2008, 2:41 am
I am so happy for her and her family.

All TV channels in France last night interrupted normal programs to make the announcement and show the press conference taking place at the Elysée Palace, where Sarkozy, Igrid's sister, Astrid, and Ingrid's two teenage children, Melanie and Lorenzo all made statements. They were to fly to Colombia right afterwards, accompanied by Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, to be reunited with their mom, sister.

I hadn't been watching TV and accidentally discovered the broadcast in progress.
I don't know if anyone explained how she'd been freed, I didn't hear anything at that time.

I've just posted a story about the 'cunning military operation' from the Telegraph, essentially because of the photographs; there are six of them, which show a radiant, beaming Ingrid, alone and with her mother and husband. Nothing to do with the sad Ingrid of the last captivity photo you've used in this post, Mada.

Colombian Rebels Tricked Into Freeing Hostage Ingrid Betancourt