Rescue of FARC Hostages
"Important Step" For
Colombia
The rescue of former
Colombian presidential
candidate Ingrid
Betancourt and 14 other
hostages Wednesday was
an "important step" for
the future of Colombia,
Paraguayan
president-elect Fernando
Lugo said Thursday.
"I received the news
with great happiness...I
consider it an important
step toward what can be
the Colombia of the
future," said Lugo, who
will be sworn in on Aug.
15.
Lugo said he had spoken
to Colombian President
Alvaro Uribe who said
Betancourt's rescue was
a celebration "not only
for Colombia but for all
Latin America."
This continent "has
wished so much for
liberty and peace that
there is no place for
violence and death,"
said Lugo, who is in the
Uruguayan capital
Montevideo to attend a
ceremony to name
Uruguayan writer Eduardo
Galeano the first
"Outstanding Citizen" of
the Common Market of the
South (Mercosur).
The Colombian army on
Wednesday rescued 15
Revolutionary Armed
Forces of Colombia (FARC)
hostages, including
Betancourt and three
U.S. contractors.
Betancourt, captured in
February 2002 during a
presidential campaign,
said her rescue was "a
peace signal for
Colombia."
Colombian-French
Betancourt and her
families have left
Colombia for Paris.
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