Betancourt Says Hostage
Rescue Operation
"Perfect"
Colombian former
presidency candidate
Ingrid Betancourt
described Wednesday the
rescue operation which
freed her and 14 other
hostages from the
Revolutionary Armed
Forces of Colombia (FARC)
as "perfect."
"Thank you, the army of
my Colombian homeland
... thanks for your
faultless operation. The
operation was perfect,"
she said during an
emotional speech at a
military base in Bogota.
"The chief of the
operation said: 'we are
the National Army. You
are free,'" she said.
"This is a miracle I
want to share with all
of you. It is a (moment
of) pride for us
Colombians," Betancourt
said.
Betancourt was kidnapped
in February 2002 during
a presidential campaign.
She and three Americans,
held since 2003, were
rescued along with 11
Colombian soldiers in a
dramatic military
operation, after
soldiers infiltrated the
rebel group.
The former presidency
candidate, who will be
46 in December, looked
in good health, in
contrast with the
various stories put out
by the Colombian
government that she was
very sick and about to
die.
Betancourt and the 11
Colombians arrived at
Catam military base in
Bogota Wednesday noon.
The U.S. advisors Marc
Gonsalves, Thomas Howes
and Keith Stansell were
taken back to the
States.
"This operation called 'Jaque,'
has no precedent and it
shows the very high
quality and the
professionalism of the
Colombian military
forces," Colombian
Defense Minister Manuel
Santos said.
Military intelligence
agents infiltrated FARC,
telling local commander
"Cesar," who was in
charge of the hostages,
that he had to take them
in a helicopter to
Alfonso Cano, the
group's top leader.
Military commanders
surrounded Cesar and his
men before they agreed
to deliver the hostages
without resistance,
Santos said, adding that
he will reveal more
details of the operation
later.
"It's like a movie. A
movie about rescuing
persons who have been
tortured," Santos said.
General Mario Montoya,
commander of the
Colombian Army, said it
was "checkmate for FARC,
undoubtedly."
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