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Sarkozy to the Rescue

France Announces Mission to Broker Release of FARC Hostages

Ingrid Betancourt, the French-Colombian politician who has been held captive by FARC guerrillas in Colombia's jungle for six years, is thought to be dying. French President Sarkozy has announced that he will launch a mission to broker her release.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has taken new steps to secure the release of hostages held by the Colombian rebel group FARC, including Ingrid Betancourt, a French citizen believed to be close to death.

Sarkozy telephoned the Colombian president, Alvaro Uribe, and announced France's intention to launch "a humanitarian mission without delay to make contact with the FARC and obtain access to our compatriot," according to a statement from Sarkozy's office.

The call followed a televised address -- in French with Spanish subtitles -- in which Sarkozy implored Manuel Marulanda, the leader of the Marxist guerrillas known as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), to release Betancourt. "Ingrid is in danger of imminent death, Sarkozy said, referring to Betancourt, who is thought to have been on hunger strike since Feb. 23. "Since only a decision from you to save this woman from death is needed, take this decision," Sarkozy continued. "Free Ingrid Betancourt."

Betancourt's son, Lorenzo Delloye, said Wednesday that his mother was in danger of dying if she did not receive a blood transfusion "in the coming hours," according to the Associated Press.

Betancourt, a 46-year-old mother of two who is thought to be suffering from hepatitis B and a skin disease, is a citizen of both France and Colombia. She was taken hostage in 2002 while campaigning to be president of Colombia and has been held captive in the jungle ever since. Her plight has been a major focus of interest and concern in both countries.

Uribe responded to Sarkozy's request by saying that he would suspend military operations in any area that the humanitarian mission went to. "Once authorities are informed by the mission about the coordinates," Uribe said in Bogota Tuesday, "we will allow its mission to do its work."

The FARC has been holding hostages in the hopes of exchanging them for jailed guerrilla fighters. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez succeeded in brokering a deal that led to the release of six captives in January. Other attempts at making deals to free the hostages have failed because rebel demands for a demilitarized zone to provide a safe haven have been denied.

To sweeten the deal, French Prime Minister Francois Fillon repeated last week that France might grant asylum to former FARC rebels. In his televised speech Tuesday, Sarkozy added that freeing Betancourt might "open perspectives for peace." He did, however, add that her not being released and dying would be "a grave political fault on top of a human tragedy."

France is said to have a plane loaded with medical supplies standing at the ready, should the rebels release Betancourt. No information was provided regarding the mission's timetable.

jtw/ap/reuters