Colombian President
Offers Huge Rewards for
FARC Rebels To Release
Hostages
Colombian President
Alvaro Uribe said Friday
that he would pay FARC
rebels rewards from a
fund of us$100 million
dollars for releasing
any of hundreds of
hostages they held for
years, including
politician Ingrid
Betancourt.
Betancourt, former
Colombian presidential
candidate, was kidnapped
by FARC on Feb. 23, 2002
in southern Colombia.
The ransom offer came
after Uribe signed a
decree Thursday to free
the imprisoned FARC
troops in exchange for
FARC-held hostages, said
the high commissioner
for Peace, Luis Carlos
Restrepo, calling the
decision "a fast and
immediate mechanism
under the humanitarian
accord."
"I call on the FARC to
release them ... You
will receive rewards: we
are going to resolve the
juridical problems of
the imprisoned rebels
and they will be freed
with guarantees," Uribe
said.
Uribe was accused of
messing up Betancourt's
release as he decided to
enter the Ecuadorian
territory and killed 25
people in a March 1st
raid on a FARC base
there.
Colombian politician
Clara Rojas, recently
released by FARC after
being held hostage for
six years, Friday urged
FARC to free Betancourt.
"I ask FARC with my soul
and my heart to do
everything possible to
inform Venezuelan
President Hugo Chavez of
Betancourt's location so
that the Red Cross will
help release her," said
Rojas, former vice
presidential candidate
and Betancourt's running
mate.
People from southeastern
Guaviare province said
priests have seen
Betancourt and said she
is in bad condition and
likely to die any moment
from Leishmaniasis and
Hepatitis B.
Meanwhile, family
members of Betancourt,
also appealed to the
president to help
release Betancourt.
"I consider the
government's intentions
as something positive,"
said Betancourt's
ex-husband Fabrice
Delloyce to reporters.
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