6 April 2008 - The mission to save the French-Colombian hostage held by the FARC comes with a three point plan: the release of Ingrid Betancourt, an offer by France to accept a handful of rebel leaders held by Bogota and French support for FARC’s removal from Europe’s list of terrorist organisations.
France Ends Mission to Rescue Betancourt
By ANDREW O. SELSKY – 1 hour ago
By ANDREW O. SELSKY – 1 hour ago
ASSOCIATED pRESS/ 8 APRIL 2008
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — France called off a humanitarian mission Tuesday to treat and possibly free ailing hostage Ingrid Betancourt after Colombian rebels said they wouldn't unilaterally release any more captives.
France's Foreign Ministry said late Tuesday that there was no longer any reason to keep the mission by France, Spain and Switzerland in Colombia. A French government plane has been waiting on a Bogota airstrip for days with doctors hoping to reach Betancourt, who was said to be depressed and suffering from hepatitis C.
In a four-paragraph statement released Tuesday, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia repeated what they have insisted on since 2005: that the government demilitarize two counties as the first step toward a broad hostage-prisoner swap. Only as part of such an exchange, they said, would Betancourt go free.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy's office said he is "deeply disappointed" he was unable to save Betancourt, who holds French and Colombian nationality.
IS THIS THE END FOR MS. BETANCOURT? WHO CAN SAVE HER?
2 comments:
I feel sorry for Mrs. Betancourt's children but the fact remains that many others suffer much more than Mrs. Betancourt. I also think that the french government should stop interfering. Indeed, Mrs. Betancourt carries an impressive french family name (from old money) by her marriage to a Betancourt. She knew what she was doing in Columbia. In fact, she was there not as a french citizen but as a columbian citizen. I am an american and I live here in France and I can tell you that my french friends don't care one iota about rescuing Mrs. Betancourt.
Merci beaucoup for a different perspective. I really never looked at the situation in that light.
Just an aside: I didn't think readers from other countries could post on this blog. So I am pleased at your comments.
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