A presidential decree to promote the release of hostages by Colombian insurgents has been described as a step forward by some and more of the same by others.

The decree was issued on Thursday night, after a long meeting at the Nariño House between President Alvaro Uribe and top government officials, the Prosecutor's Office and high-ranking military officers.

At the end of the meeting, High Commissioner for Peace Luis Carlos Restrepo pointed out that, according to the decree, the only requisite to reach a humanitarian agreement is the release of one or all hostages held by the guerrillas.

He added that immediately after the release takes place, the government would ask judicial authorities the "conditional suspension of the sentences" of the imprisoned guerrilla fighters whose names have been agreed upon to release them.

Restrepo noted that the release of former Presidential Candidate Ingrid Betancourt would be enough for the government to consider that the humanitarian agreement has been reached and, in that regard, the insurgents agreed upon will be set free.

However, Ingrid Betancourt's husband, Fabrice Delloye, described the government's proposal as imprecise, and said he fears it is just a dramatic effect by President Uribe.

He added that the decree contains conditions that the Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC) had rejected previously, including that the released guerrilla fighters do not take up arms again, and insisted that the solution is to hold talks between the government and the insurgents.

He warned that the decree does not refer to the demilitarization of any zone to hold the talks, which the FARC has always demanded.

For her part, Astrid, Ingrid Betancourt's sister, highlighted the need for dialogue and recalled that the FARC has made positive gestures by releasing other hostages, so the government should facilitate that effort.

In statements to local radio, Astrid warned that if her sister died, history would settle an account with President Uribe.