Ingrid Betancourt has been held by FARC for more than 6 years and her situation is deteriorating dramatically. Her release is a matter of life or death. In Monday’s Le Matin, Ingrid’ sister, Astrid Betancourt is interviewed.

Astrid Betancourt had along conversation with Luis Eladio Perez, one of Ingrid’s fellow hostages who was released last Wednesday.

Question:

Why are you so emotional? What did Luis Eladio Perez tell you?

Astrid: Firstly, I thanked Luis Eladio sincerely because, in the letter , sent by Ingrid to her mother, I saw how much he protected Ingrid, during his captivity and how he made the years he shared with her in the same camp ” less unbearable” . However Luis Eladio broke down and said “No, Astrid, I owe my life to Ingrid. It was she who saved me”. During his captivity, Luis had three heart attacks and twice lapsed into a diabetic coma. Ingrid looked after him. He said that Ingrid even washed his clothes. He is eternally grateful to her. He said he had never met such a person with so much humanity, intelligence and kindness of spirit. Eduardo Gresham, one of the other freed hostages told my mother “Yolanda, if I’m alive, it’s thanks to Ingrid. I also had a heart attack. She looked after me. If Ingrid hadn’t been there II wouldn’t be alive today.” Luis Eladio thanked us for having “internationalised” the tragedy of the Colombian hostages; otherwise he would never have been freed.

This really affected me because it’s the first time that I heard that from the hostages who were freed. Gloria Polanco, Eduardo and Orlando also said this to my mother. And of course, we know that if this came about it was because France and Spain didn’t spare their efforts over the last six years.

Question: According to Luis Eladio Perez, Ingrid is being badly treated by the rebels?

Astrid: Yes, badly treated, because not only is she deprived of her freedom, she must also bear the torture of being chained up, which is very difficult for her. But Luis told me her suffering is increased very much because of the behaviour of the POWS, the officers and policemen who are held in the same camp. These men blame Ingrid. Their attitude towards my sister defies understanding. They behave like animals and several times Luis had to defend my sister with his bare hands. When released Luis asked President Chavez to do all he can immediately so that Ingrid can be transferred to another camp, away from these people.

Question: Efforts to free Ingrid have been blocked after six unilateral releases. Are FARC waiting for a gesture from the Colombian Government? What’s the situation following the death of Raul Reyes?

Astrid: FARC have never said exactly that they would not go ahead with other unilateral releases. It is known that FARC want the demilitarisation of the Pradera and Florida regions to proceed to humanitarian exchanges between POWS and rebels in prison. But Ingrid is not a POW: she is a civilian hostage. Senator Piedad Cordoba told us, my mother and me in Bogota at a ceremony to mark the sixth anniversary of Ingrid’s kidnapping that FARC have never ruled out the idea of freeing Ingrid by means of a unilateral release.

Question: Do you think that Raul Reyes’ death undermines the process of unilateral releases?

Astrid: The death of Raul Reyes proves there is an armed conflict in Colombia. For this war to stop, the Colombian Government must recognise the existence of such a conflict and allow the International Community to lead the way in order to start negotiations. President Chavez has proposed the setting up of a group composed of representatives from other countries including reps from FARC and the Colombian government to determine a road map leading to a humanitarian agreement before starting a process that would lead to peace.

Question: Your sister is very weak. Do you think she is in mortal danger?

Astrid: I’m hopeful for several reasons: French Foreign Affairs Minister Kushner met with President Chavez and put forward some practical suggestions. These have been examined closely by Piedad Cordoba; President Sarkozy has undertaken personally to go to the jungle to welcome Ingrid. All this offers an unprecedented historic opportunity to FARC.

Question: Do you think you’ll meet Ingrid in the days to come?

Astrid: I have never doubted that I’ll see her again; each day my faith increases. I admire Ingrid, her courage in the face of suffering, her extraordinary big heart. When I think of how she found the inner strength to save the life of Luis Eladio and Orlando at the same time holding onto hope herself, I am overwhelmed. Luis told me how Ingrid had sent my mother and me tee-shirts belonging to him! She sent to Melanie, a belt, to Lorenzo, a bag for his books, to Anastasia, my daughter, a hat, and to my son, Stanislas, a cap. All these gifts made by her own hands.

Question: President Hugo Chavez is threatening to attack Colombia?

Astrid: Yesterday, President Chavez of Venezuela ordered the army to position 10 battalions on the border between Venezuela and Colombia, the day after FARC‘s leader was killed in Ecuador. He also decided to close his diplomatic mission to Bogota, Ecuador also did likewise, in protest against the incursion, by recalling its Ambassador.

Mr Chavez warned that the activities of the Colombian Government of the previous evening carried out partly in Ecuador territory and which resulted din the death of the FARC leader Raul Reyes, could lead to war in the region. These statements show that tension between the two countries is at its highest since Hugo Chavez arrived in power nine years ago.

Neither the Colombian Foreign Affairs Minister nor the Army Commander in Chief, when questioned following the funeral in Bogota of a soldier killed in Saturday’s operation, commented on this aspect. For its part, Ecuador announced the recall of its Ambassador to Bogota to protest against the attack by the Colombian Government against FARC on its territory. A scourge of the USA, President Chavez described how Colombia, is led by a ring-wing government and supported by Washington, as a” Terrorist state” and its President, Alvaro Uribe, “ a criminal”.

Yesterday morning Colombia admitted it had attacked a rebel camp located in Ecuador.