News

Ransom Claim in Ingrid Betancourt Release

Friday 04 July 2008

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by: Haroon Siddique and Agencies, The Guardian UK

photo
In this frame-grab from a video released by Colombia's Army taken on July 2, 2008, hostage Ingrid Betancourt reacts as she rides in a helicopter during a Colombian military mission that reportedly rescued her from captivity in an unknown location in Colombia's Guaviare state.
(Photo: Colombian Army / AP)

    Ingrid Betancourt arrived in France today after being held captive for six years in the Colombian jungle, amid claims that a ransom was paid to free her.

    The Colombian government said that she was freed in an audacious operation after the military tricked Farc into handing the French-Colombian politician over without a shot being fired.

    But quoting "reliable sources", Swiss Radio reported that a ransom was paid of around $20m (£10m).

    It said that the US, which had three citizens among those freed, was behind the deal and that "the whole operation afterwards was a set-up."

    The station reported that the wife of one of the hostages' guards was the go-between, having been arrested by the Colombian army.

    If proved true, the allegations would be hugely embarrassing for the Colombian government which was showered with praise for the efficiency of the operation. Many commentators had predicted that it would even spell the end of Farc as a credible force.

    President Nicolas Sarkozy met Betancourt at the Villacoublay military air base south of Paris.

    The hero's welcome for the 46-year-old, who has held by the Farc, is being shown live on French television.

    The government is to throw a party in the presidential Élysée Palace in her honour later this evening.

    Addressing journalists after landing she said: "I am amazed that I am standing here alive. I have cried a lot. Today they are tears of joy. Before, they were tears of pain."

    Betancourt was kidnapped by Farc rebels during her election campaign in 2002. She was freed on Wednesday with 14 others. The rebels were tricked into handing them over in a Colombian covert military operation.

    Next week, Betancourt is expected to be received by the Pope. She is a devout Catholic and made wooden rosary beads to pray with in the jungle.

    At a press conference in Bogata upon her release, Betancourt urged Farc to release the rest of its prisoners - it has about 700 captives, including 40 high-profile hostages - and embark on a peace process. She has vowed to work for the freedom of all hostages.

    "I hope that the Farc understands that this is the time to release all its hostages and use this release, this act, not only to improve its now tarnished image, but especially for us here in Colombia, to try to make this first step towards a negotiated peace."

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Comments

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After all these years, Uribe

Sun, 07/06/2008 - 20:27 — Anonymous (not verified)
After all these years, Uribe has not been able to do squat...and now the big RESCUE? sounds fishy to me. there had to be big money for FARC! one does not trick FARC, at least not easily...they do not release prisoners out of the kindness of their hearts (if they have any). Ingrid could have had to play along as part of the release agreement. wouldn't you, if your life lay on the line?

Yeah, dudes, like wouldn't

Sun, 07/06/2008 - 07:31 — Anonymous (not verified)
Yeah, dudes, like wouldn't it be a bummer if this story was really just about FARC falling apart? Hugo Chavez digs FARC!

What continues to baffle me

Sun, 07/06/2008 - 02:27 — herbert browne (not verified)
What continues to baffle me is why did every report over the last four years which mentioned Ms. Betancourt claim that her health was greatly impaired, and that she needed medical attention? I was a little surprised that her first stop wasn't a big-city hospital, since I assumed that all the earlier media coverage was prepared by news organizations- and not by the Colombian &/or U.S. State Department. Were we all being encouraged to condemn the "heartless" FARC rebels for preventing Ms. Betancourt from receiving the care that she needed? I hope that I am able to "track back" to those earlier stories and find out their sources... ^..^

I as well find the whole

Sun, 07/06/2008 - 01:51 — Anonymous (not verified)
I as well find the whole rescue mission fishy. As the post before, Ingrid Betancourt seemed to be in very good health and all the hostages got out of the plane with backpacks looking as if they had just come from a vacation. Also there has been no mentioned of the supposed FARC representative aboard the helicopter and why these particular 14 people released. I am very happy for the release of these hostages however something in the whole story does not seem right.

The answer for the fake

Sun, 07/06/2008 - 00:22 — Tony of Kendall (not verified)
The answer for the fake deal created by Uribe and the U.S. is total lie like always they pay a ramson and now they try to smoke and mirrors tactic.

The one aspect of this story

Sat, 07/05/2008 - 23:44 — roncypert (not verified)
The one aspect of this story that bothered me the most, and about which I have seen no comments or discussion, is the fact that the rescuers (at least some of them) masqueraded as humanitarian aid workers. It would seem to me that this makes the tasks of real humanitarian aid groups and workers much more risky than normal, which is already dangerous enough, and could also diminish their ability to even enter and work in some areas. There were many aspects of this ‘rescue’ that just did not seem reasonable; for instance, she seemed to be in remarkably good condition, especially compared to the last pictures released, in which her appearance alarmed many. However the masquerade is the one that I found most troubling.

I, too, doubt the "heroic

Sat, 07/05/2008 - 21:35 — Peggy for Peace (not verified)
I, too, doubt the "heroic rescue" statements. Makes more sense that a huge ranso was paid. Query: will we ever know the truth?

The news that the FARC are

Sat, 07/05/2008 - 20:33 — Anonymous (not verified)
The news that the FARC are financed by US DRug money intensified my opposition to the US Drug war as do the numerous nurders in Juarez, Mexico.

I told my husband, just

Sat, 07/05/2008 - 19:28 — sherry clay (not verified)
I told my husband, just wait....this is a political ploy, on Bush/his crew/ john mccainspart and truthout oorg is going to be saying so....wait and see! I told my husband the minute tne news first broadcast the release of the prisoners , with the version of the heroic event, Bush, giving accolades right at the time of the hafta trade deal bit. and JOHN MCCAIN>..incidentally beingthere the day before....that the whole thing was one big farce......bush involved just like his father was with reagan....and setting up a weapons deal with iran in return if they would release the prisoners only after reagan got elected.... so as to make things look bad for carter. Bush dubya....pulling the same political self serving specious action......just liike his specious greedy father...both of them destructive and pernicous to the core....Cheney///Baker.....rumsfeld, ashcroft....rove......the whole rotten bunch..... I do pray and hope with all my might...your organization will do so much more...all within your power to do.....to expose the facts and this next piece of bush and his crews ...constant underhandedness.....that you will do all you can to expose not just thorugh the internet...lbut do all you can that it hit the newspapers...i have given up on getting any reliable news off the tv.....they too are a farce....without a cod3e of journalism ethics....nothing but well paid pundits and spin doctors....thank you so much truthout.....don't stop what you are doing ...just do a whole lot more of it!!!!.

As Aeschylus put it: "In

Sat, 07/05/2008 - 18:36 — voltairetoday (not verified)
As Aeschylus put it: "In war, the first casualty is truth." Frankly, I suspect Swiss radio is correct. The propaganda value of claiming a heroic rescue is significant. And admitting that a ransom was paid has no value to Colombian authorities. FARC loses nothing and gains, if the report is correct, $20 million. Quien sabe? Solo los adentros.

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