The front of the City Hall in Bogotá displays not only Ingrid Betancourt’s portrait, as on the Hotel de Ville in Paris, but also those of other hostages whose ’proofs of life’ were found by the Colombian army on 30 November 2007.

Bogotá’s left-wing council added to the huge display a rather poetic reference to the subject of “a humanitarian exchange” i.e. the swap of FARC- held hostages and imprisoned rebels. The slogan “Yes to an exchange” is very visible and understood by all those who pass by in Bolivar Square. The remaining text is unexpected: the banner suggests, in fact, that “ silence be replaced by hugs”, ”loneliness by words” and “absence by freedom”.

The people of Colombia are no longer indifferent to Ingrid Betancourt or angry with demands put on the government of Colombia by France. The long letter the French –Colombian hostage sent to her mother was published on 1 December in the main daily newspaper, El Tiempo. On both sides of the Atlantic, the letter moved all those who read it.

The recent photo of Ingrid is the saddest sight among those displayed on the walls of City Hall, but again, it’s not alone. Other male and female politicians are also held by FARC.The 11 political representatives from the Cauca Valley region, killed in captivity in June 2007, had a huge support movement in Coli, Colombia’s third largest city. A very active association supports the families of police and military hostages, held b y FARC, 2 of whom have been held for 10 years.

“Market Value”

Following the release of Clara Rojas and Consuelo Gonzales de Perdomo, it would be an illusion to expect the release of another small group of hostages, even if President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela asks FARC for mercy towards female and ill hostages. And it’s not because Ingrid Betancourt has increased her “market/exchange value” due to the international campaign, from which she benefits, because that rather heartless argument is based on a desire to make those who support her and sympathise with her feel guilty.

Overall, the hostages who have the most ”value”, from FARC’s point of view, would be the three American hostages. Not only because they would enable FARC to negotiate the release of Simon Trinidad and Sonia, 2 key FARC personnel who were extradited to the United States. But also because, with their Stalinist outlook, the FARC want American “imperialism” to yield.

Clara Rojas explained she had not seen Ingrid for”3 years”. Ingrid’s fate is more than even linked to that of the other “exchangeable” hostages, i.e. the politicians, military and police held. As for the other hundreds of hostages in their hands, FARC don’t want to talk about them, or pretend they haven’t got them and this when kidnapping for ransom is a well established practice.

A “humanitarian exchange” obviously comes about through negotiation between the Colombian government and FARC. Any mediation that does not include this aspect is headed for failure.