Yolanda Pulecio, Ingrid Betancourt’s mother recalls her worry about her daughter’s kidnapping and says she is appalled that the issue of a humanitarian agreement is now at a standstill.

She challenges the statements made by the new Minister of Defence Juan Manuel Santos.

“It hurts me to hear the minister state that in this country there are first and second-class hostages and that he would not do anything special for Ingrid. I never asked him to do anything of the sort; the only thing I said is that I am opposed to a military rescue”.

Madame Pulecio stated that during the last year she had asked on several occasions to meet the President of the Republic but “I am still waiting for a reply”. Ingrid Betancourt’s mother pointed out that she will meet the relatives of other hostages this Wednesday.

“This situation is agonising for us. We have heard the guerrilla has increased the amount of surveillance on the hostages and that they were changing the locations of the camps ; this situation and the present circumstances are very upsetting. What we ask is a way to bring about a humanitarian agreement.

Yolanda Pulecio reminded the journalist from La F.M. that some months ago, President of France, Jacques Chirac had contacted President Alvaro Uribe to appeal to him not to undertake a military operation that would jeopardise the lives of the hostages.

She described as “disrespectful” the statements made by Juan Manuel Santos.. “I am very upset, because, some time ago, when Francisco Santos (the current Vice-President) was freed, only a negotiated settlement was considered and not a military operation, because the aim was to recover him alive”.