Daring military ruse frees Ingrid Betancourt

PARIS – French-Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt, who was rescued from her guerrilla captors on Wednesday, has not yet decided when to visit France but is expected to do so soon an official said yesterday.

Betancourt, 46, a dual national and former Colombian presidential candidate, was the highest-profile captive held by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, known as FARC, and had been held in the Colombian jungle for six years. She was rescued along with 14 other hostages, including three US citizens, in an operation in which Colombian soldiers posed as aid workers, fooling guerrillas into putting the captives onto a helicopter.”For the moment, there is no final decision taken by her,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Eric Chevallier told iTele television when asked when Betancourt would visit France.Betancourt’s plight has been followed closely in France, where successive governments have sought to help secure her release.President Nicolas Sarkozy pledged after his election last year to make her liberation a priority and he made several unsuccessful attempts to convince the FARC to set her free.Shortly after her release, Betancourt thanked Sarkozy and his predecessor Jacques Chirac, as well as former Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin, for their efforts to help her, adding: “I dream of returning to France”.France has dispatched a plane with her relatives and Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner on board to meet her in Colombia.An official at Sarkozy’s office said overnight she was likely to head to France on that plane.Chevallier, however, was more cautious, saying he expected her to reach a decision by the time the plane arrives in a few hours’ time.”I think that in the meantime Ingrid Betancourt will decide exactly when she will come back, but she could decide to stay in Colombia a little while or not.We’ll see.It’s her decision,” Chevallier said.News of Betancourt’s release broke on Wednesday evening.Nampa-ReutersShe was rescued along with 14 other hostages, including three US citizens, in an operation in which Colombian soldiers posed as aid workers, fooling guerrillas into putting the captives onto a helicopter.”For the moment, there is no final decision taken by her,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Eric Chevallier told iTele television when asked when Betancourt would visit France.Betancourt’s plight has been followed closely in France, where successive governments have sought to help secure her release.President Nicolas Sarkozy pledged after his election last year to make her liberation a priority and he made several unsuccessful attempts to convince the FARC to set her free.Shortly after her release, Betancourt thanked Sarkozy and his predecessor Jacques Chirac, as well as former Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin, for their efforts to help her, adding: “I dream of returning to France”.France has dispatched a plane with her relatives and Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner on board to meet her in Colombia.An official at Sarkozy’s office said overnight she was likely to head to France on that plane.Chevallier, however, was more cautious, saying he expected her to reach a decision by the time the plane arrives in a few hours’ time.”I think that in the meantime Ingrid Betancourt will decide exactly when she will come back, but she could decide to stay in Colombia a little while or not.We’ll see.It’s her decision,” Chevallier said.News of Betancourt’s release broke on Wednesday evening.Nampa-Reuters