Colombian President
Visits France For Rebel
Hostage Diplomacy
Colombian President
Alvaro Uribe arrived in
French capital Paris on
Sunday, starting a tour
to discuss European
efforts to release
hostages held by
Colombian rebels.
Uribe met the family of
the French-Colombian
hostage Ingrid
Betancourt after his
arrival on Sunday.
Betancourt, a former
Colombian presidential
candidate who has been
held since 2002, is the
highest profile hostage
of the Revolutionary
Armed Forces of Colombia
(FARC). Uribe's
government considers her
release a high priority.
Uribe is due to meet his
French counterpart
Nicolas Sarkozy on
Monday at France's seat
of government, the
Elisee Palace.
He will also meet Heve
Marro, the official
spokesman for the French
Ingrid Betancourt
Support Committee.
Rebels of the FARC on
Jan. 10 handed over two
women hostages, Clara
Rojas and Consuelo
Gonzalez, to an
international mission
led by Venezuela.
Consuelo Gonzalez was
kidnapped in 2001 and
Clara Rojas was taken
hostage in 2002
alongside her running
mate Ingrid Betancourt.
Venezuelan President
Hugo Chavez acted as a
mediator in the release
of Rojas and Gonzalez.
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