Desperate last appeals for release of hostage Betancourt (Roundup)

Apr 2, 2008, 12:00 GMT

Paris/Bogota - The teenage son of Colombian hostage Ingrid Betancourt launched a last, desperate appeal for the release of his mother on Wednesday as French President Nicolas Sarkozy announced plans to send 'humanitarian' envoys to South America.

'There's no more time. Either we free mom and the other hostages or we'll lose them, and that's a question of hours,' Lorenzo Delloye Betancourt said in Paris.

Betancourt, a French-Colombian citizen, has been held hostage by the left-wing Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FACRC) since early 2002.

This was a last appeal, as his mother's state of health was very grave, Delloye said. The 46-year-old hostage urgently needed a blood transfusion 'within the next hours' if she was to survive, he said.

The former Colombian presidential candidate suffers from hepatitis B and a parasite infection, her son said.

Sarkozy informed his Colombian counterpart about the two envoys' mission to try and get access to Betancourt via her kidnappers.

Colombian President Alvaro Uribe was urged to cease all military action in order to guarantee their security and the success of their medical mission, which is to start Thursday.

Uribe said he would stop military action after the delegation's arrival in the south-eastern part of the country, where Betancourt is believed to be held.

In a TV speech broadcast in Colombia, Sarkozy called for Betancourt's release. He stressed that risking her death would be a 'grave political mistake,' on top of the human tragedy.

Sarkozy called on FARC leader Manuel Marulanda, 73, to use his influence to save Betancourt. The founder of the left-wing rebel organization was not seen in public since 2001, French media said.

The death of his deputy in a military raid was made responsible the failure of earlier attempts to broker Betancourt's release.