Colombian Senator, Piedad Cordoba who has mediated with FARC stated Friday in Madrid that Ingrid Betancourt was ” well” and accused the Colombian Government of preventing a humanitarian agreement with the guerrilla movement.

“The latest news I have from a week ago about Ingrid Betancourt is that she is well. She’s not suffering from any illness that could deteriorate” said the Senator who has worked with President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela and who was involved in mediation leading to the freeing of six hostages since January.

High Commissioner for Peace, Luis Carlos Restrepo stated Sunday in a public interview that Ingrid Betancourt “was suffering from an ongoing illness” but “not in immediate danger of death”.

“There have been a lot of rumours and speculation about Mrs Betancourt’s health. We know her physical health is weakened but we don’t know exactly how she is “, Commander- in- Chief of the Colombian army, Freddy Padilla stated on Wednesday last.

This was said following the failed humanitarian mission sent in early April by the French Government following alarming reports about the health of the French-Colombian hostage

Opposition Senator Piedad Cordoba also criticised the Colombian Government lead by conservative Alvaro Uribe of putting obstacles to the freeing of hostages, stating the latter “had no interest in finding a humanitarian agreement”.

In a conflict lasting since 1964, FARC seek the freeing of 500 of their rebels held prisoner in exchange for the freedom of a group of 39 hostages they label ‘political’, among them Ingrid Betancourt.

“There’s a very strong group within the Colombian government that is against this agreement”, she stated.

The Senator on the other hand thinks that the “unilateral” freeing of hostages which FARC began to do recently “clearly shows that there’s a willingness to have talks”.

“The credibility of FARC must be strengthened” to restart the peace process, she added, exhorting Colombian President Alvaro Uribe “to

restart talks”. In any case, the ending (of the conflict) will be on a political basis, she thinks.

Senator Cordoba said she would meet the Spanish Secretary of State for the Latin Americas, Trinidad Jimenez and perhaps too Head of State José Louis Zapatero.