Report: Betancourt liberation result of "long negotiations"

Jul 7, 2008, 10:29 GMT

Paris - The liberation of Franco-Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt was the result of long and complex negotiations, and not a spectacular 'Hollywood' ploy, the French online news daily MediaPart reported on Monday.

The negotiations that led to the release last Wednesday of Betancourt and 14 other hostages began with an offer by Colombian authorities to some leaders of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) to liberate the hostages in exchange for immunity and money, MediaPart said.

According to the report, one of two FARC commanders in charge of the hostages - they are named Aguilar and Gafas - opened indirect contact with Colombian authorities on March 20 to ask for details about the offer, which involved money and asylum in either Venezuela or France.

As sources for its report MediaPart cited local journalists and close associates of Ingrid Betancourt's former party, Oxygeno Verge (Oxygen Green Party), which ceased to function in 2005 due largely to Betancourt's abduction.

Last week, MediaPart and the Swiss radio station Radio Suisse Romande had reported that the FARC released the hostages in exchange for the payment of a large ransom.

The negotiations between those who controlled the hostages and the Colombian Army were 'particularly tortuous,' MediaPart reported, and succeeded largely because of the intervention of a Catholic priest who had already served as intermediary between authorities and rebels.

After agreement was reached, the rebels were able to procure medicines and food for the hostages, which explains Betancourt's surprisingly good condition after six-and-a-half years in jungle captivity.

MediaPart said the FARC commanders were eager to improve the health of their hostages because they were afraid that they would be deprived of their part of the bargain if they delivered them in bad physical condition.