From the depths 0of the forest, will Ingrid Betancourt run in the Presidential elections in Colombia? Her husband, Juan Carlos Lecompte announced on Tuesday, 17 January, a "legal battle" to register the French Colombian hostage of the guerrilla in the Presidential elections.

FARC kidnapped Ingrid Betancourt on 23 February 2002 during her campaign as a Green party candidate in the Presidential elections." According to her husband, 2the political debate needs the presence of Ingrid more than ever". He wants to 2 bring a counter balance " to President Uribe who seeks re-election and thinks that "democracy in Colombia and the voters have everything to gain". Lecompte has publicly asked FARC to free his wife. "If the rebels don't want to play Uribe's game by negotiating with him, they don’t have to, they have only to free her unilaterally", he maintained.

Despite apparent concessions by both sides, both the government and FARC still refuse to meet to talk about freeing Ingrid Betancourt, her assistant Clara Rojas and 60 other political, military and police, some of whom have been held for seven years. A representative of the French government in 2005 without obtaining evidence that Ingrid was alive. The last news the family received was in May 2003.

"To launch Ingrid's candidacy, we must obtain from the authorities assurances that they reinstate the legal existence of the party", explains her husband. The small party set up by Ingrid Betancourt, Green Oxygen, ceased to legally exist in June 2003, as it had not obtained the required number of votes under the law to be recognised by the electoral authorities. An appeal was refused but the High Court has yet to give its judgement.

"The legal action that we have brought is aimed at obtaining the preservation of Ingrid's rights and electoral guarantees, because she was captured when she was involved in the presidential candidacy", explains lawyer, Harrison Vasquez. At the time of her kidnapping, Mrs Betancourt, was said to have had less than 2% of voting intentions.

"Maintain Ingrid's right"

"We are sending a message to Colombian and international public opinion, so they are aware that, in this country, public liberty is more and more restricted, adds Lecompte. We must maintain the rights of those who are hostages". In his opinion, " Ingrid's candidacy is a matter of national honour and solidarity with those who are kidnapped, whose rights are scorned".

He referred to the situation of hostages who, when freed, find they have to look for work and pay the accumulated bills for their apartment, when these are not taxes." If the Colombian government is not able to defend the freedom of its citizens, it ought to at least protect their rights, their possessions and failing that, their political party, Lecompte emphasises. Green Oxygen ought to exist. The state must preserve at least Ingrid's right to belong to a political party that she founded and directed until her kidnapping."

Lecompte concluded with a smile:" Given that all polls predict Uribe to win, the political debate is very boring. Ingrid will spice up the political debate."

Following the announcement of this move, Yolanda Pulecio, Ingrid's mother insisted that the only thing that public opinion should concentrate on was the process by which the Government and FARC ought to bring about quickly a humanitarian agreement with the help of the international community in order to free her daughter as well as other hostages via a humanitarian agreement.

YOLANDA PULECIO'S POSITION

"The declaration of Juan Carlos Lecompte is a personal decision. Neither myself n or member s of the Oxygen Party have been consulted. This is my opinion on the subject:

When Ingrid puts herself forward for a job, she does so after serious though. For her, promises are important and if she gets involved in a political debate she does so in order to put forward her views as she has done on previous election campaigns. I cannot imagine Ingrid as a silent candidate, because it has never been Ingrid's aim to be involved in something in order to have a token role.

Today things are different and neither Juan Carlos nor I know Ingrid's current circumstances with regard to the situation in the county. The decision is hers and therefore as I don't have a letter signed by her expressing her wish to be presented as a candidate, I am stating my opposition and I am not authorising anything in this regard. "