Each time Ingrid escaped, she was captured and “severely punished” by Farc, according to the hostage who escaped, said yesterday Thursday. He had seen her on 28 April. “Ingrid exercises a lot, writes, listens to the radio and cuts out items of news from newspapers”, he related.

After months of no word of Ingrid, each detail conjured up by John Frank Pinchao Blanco who was a former fellow hostage of the French-Colombian woman and who escaped the clutches of Farc, has huge significance. After having confirmed on Wednesday that the French Colombian politician was indeed alive and that he had seen her as lately as 28 April last, this Thursday he stated she had tried to escape 5 times as well. In vain. Each time Farc soldiers caught her.

“Ingrid was severely punished for these escape attempts”, said the policeman adding that the rebels had reduced her food rations and taken away her radio. Stating that Ingrid sleeps in the same way as the male hostages, chained by the neck, he nevertheless confirmed she was in good health.

Referring to her physical state, Mr Pinchao indicted that Ingrid “had suffered from hepatitis in the past but she was today in good health”.

Ingrid Betancourt and Clara Rojas have been “separated”

Another detail of the hostage’s daily life: Ingrid takes a lot of exercises, writes, listens to the radio and cuts out items of news from the newspapers”, according to the lieutenant. “Once, he recalled she was suffering from depression, she tore up her what she had written”. According to the same source, the 45 year-old former Green party candidate in the presidential candidate always listens to all the messages recorded by her mother Yolanda Pulecio (and broadcast on a weekly programme by Radio Caracol). But he added she had received only one single letter from her mother, which she always keeps with her.

The policeman related how on several occasions he used to argue with Ingrid about “matters of ideology” and that they could not talk to each other for days.

Pinchao also told how Ingrid and her colleague Clara Rojas, who had a baby with a Farc soldier, were now “separated2. Ingrid Betancourt and Clara Rojas have been held hostage since 23 February 2002. Farc kidnapped them during the presidential campaign in which Ingrid Betancourt was a candidate representing the Green Party in Colombia. Farc, the biggest rebel group in Colombia with 17,000 members, is demanding that 500 of their men held prisoners be freed in exchange for their 56 hostages.

Sarkozy and Uribe have spoken by phone about Ingrid Betancourt.

According to his spokesman, David Matinon, the new French President spoke on Thursday about Ingrid Betancourt’s situation during a phone conversation with the President of Colombia, Alvaro Uribe. During this half hour conversation, the new head of the French state “ welcomed President Uribe’s intention to free many Farc prisoners, at the same time pointing out that he (Sarkozy) was determined to obtain freedom for Ingrid Betancourt”, according to sources at the Elysée palace. AlvaroUribe “ made available to President Sarkozy information gathered from the escaped policeman about Ingrid Betancourt’s health and her conditions of detention”, added the spokesman. “President Sarkozy will convey these details to the Betancourt family whom he will see shortly at the Elysée”.