In Paris, a group of people who call themselves THE support committee asked FARC on Monday to supply proof o f life of the French- Colombian woman hostage from whom there has not been any direct news for more than four years. Her ex -husband Fabrice Delloye does not rule out that the former presidential candidate may be dead.

This statement has deeply shocked Ingrid Betancourt’s mother, Yolanda Pulecio and Astrid Betancourt, Ingrid’s sister.

“Even though FARC repeated, this weekend, that she was alive and in good health, that is not enough for us(…) If we don’t have (direct news) in the short term, we would be inclined to think that Ingrid Betancourt is dead”, warned the committee in its statement.

“The time has come for us when we ought to ask ourselves about the relevance of our campaigns(…) If the situation continues without any proof of life, we have to consider an ultimatum; if we don’t get proof of life, we will stop(our campaign)”, explained Herve Marro, spokesperson for the committee, in a telephone interview with Associated Press. ”We will continue to campaign for the other hostages, but certainly not with the same vigour.”

This brutal reaction of the support committee has caused strong feelings and anger on the part of Yolanda Pulecio, Ingrid Betancourt’s mother and Astrid Betancourt, sister of the French-Colombian hostage, who confirmed in a statement issued early on Tuesday morning that “they are convinced and always have been that Ingrid is indeed alive.” The two women say that they are “shocked by such an irresponsible suggestion from people who would suggest that this was not the case”.

Absolutely denying such suggestions from the support committee, they stress that the” action campaign and negotiations must continue at all cost” and this until “Ingrid and the other hostages are freed”.

This “Ingrid Betancourt support committee”, close to Melanie Betancourt, who has criticized in the past the attitude of the French government for its lack of firmness with the Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, will be received Thursday morning by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Bernard Kouchner.

Ingrid Betancourt, a member of the Senate in Colombia, aged 45 years, mother of two children, Lorenzo and Melanie, was kidnapped by FARC on 23 February with her director of elections, Clara Rojas. In 2003, in a video recording, she called for talks to begin between FARC and the Colombian government. Since then, a recently freed hostage stated he had been held with her and that she was well but there is no direct proof of life.