Following Chirac's reference to Ingrid Betancourt's continuing kidnap ordeal in Colombia, her family has thanked President Chirac. They condemned President Uribe of Colombia for having put an ultimatum to her kidnappers. "I was sad without Ingrid and without a lot of hope before hearing that Mr Chirac had not forgotten my daughter when he welcomed home the two Frenchmen who had been kidnapped in Iraq", stated Ingrid's mother Ms Yolanda Pulecio.

"For us it is very important that someone like President Chirac helps us when up to now President Uribe has been unwilling to meet me ", said Ms Pulecio who is spending Christmas in France with her grandchildren Melanie, 19 and Lorenzo, 15.

Likewise, Ingrid's husband, Juan Carlos Lecompte thanked "with all his heart the French Government and the French people for their support".

Like the rest of the family Juan Carlos Lecompte condemned the deadline given to FARC. "Uribe is effectively holding a gun to Ingrid's head instead of negotiating with them". On 17 September last,the President of Colombia announced that he would authorise the extradition to the US of Robert Palerma, one of the leaders of FARC if the 63 hostages currently held by them were not freed by 30 December 2004.

Ingrid Betancourt was kidnapped on 23 February 2002, 600 south of Bogotá, 3 days after the peace negotiations between FARC and the Colombian government then led by President Andreas Pastrana had broken down. All efforts to obtain her freedom have been in vain.