French-Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt is “the greatest enemy” of Farc who continue to hold her hostage for more than 5 years. Former hostage John Frank Pinchao Blanco, who escaped recently, stated this in an interview in Paris-Match.

Asked whether Ingrid Betancourt had 2amical relations 2 with her captors, Pinchao who had been held with 12 other hostages including Ingrid Betancourt prior to his escape at end of April, replied: “Absolutely not! In fact she is their greatest critic”.

“She criticises them severely. She does not hesitate to take them on”, so said the policeman who spent two years and nine months with Ingrid Betancourt, explaining she was not treated differently and that the former Green Party candidate in the presidential elections was chained up at night like other hostages.

The guerrilla “ treats her the same way as the others, that is, badly, and sometimes even more brutally, precisely because of her enormously strong character”, said Pinchao, when interviewed in hospital where he is being treated for dehydration, after having spent 17 days in the Amazonian jungle.

In his opinion, Ingrid Betancourt is a “natural born leader”, “intelligent and shrewd”. He considers her now as “a friend”, who taught him French during his captivity.

He confirmed that, “more than two years ago”, he had met Clara Rojas, Ingrid Betancourt’s former director of elections, and the child that she had with a member of Farc.

Ingrid Betancourt is one of 56 hostages whom the Marxist rebels want to exchange for some 500 Farc prisoners in jail.

Having declared in favour of a military rescue, Colombian President Alvaro Uribe stated last Saturday that he was “mindful” of proposals put forward by the newly elected French President, Nicolas Sarkozy, but gave no further details. The French government and Ingrid’s family are opposed to any military rescue which would r further endanger the lives of hostages.