Thursday, July 3, 2008
BOGOTA: 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.
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 spur economic growth.
Betancourt, 46, 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.
A former presidential candidate, her dual French-Colombian nationality had helped bring world attention to the plight of hostages held by the rebels.
"I believe that this is a sign of peace for Colombia, that we can find peace," Betancourt said, thanking the Colombian military for her rescue and weeping as she made her first public comments, carried on Colombian radio station Caracol.
Minutes later a pale but smiling Betancourt landed at Bogota's military air base, walking down the stairs of the plane and hugging her mother, Yolanda Pulecio, on the runway.
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