Astrid Betancourt, sister of French Colombian Ingrid Betancourt, held hostage by FARC since 2002,stated on Saturday last in Avoine (Loire et Indre) that she "did not want to have her hopes raised" following approaches made to President Alvaro Uribe.

Uribe favours a military rescue mission to release the hostages among them Ingrid bwtancourt. ON 12 May Uribe surprised many by speaking about freeing "many prisoners". ON Friday he announce his government would free or let go from prison before 7 June a group of FARC prisoners.

Astrid Betancourt who was speaking a General Meeting of the International Federation of Ingrid Betancourt Committees (FICIB) which brings together 40 French, Irish, Belgian and Dutch committees, told the media: " We have had our hopes raised so often and each time hostages are not freed. I do not want to have my hopes raised. I think that FARC have taken enough hostages for monetary reasons and that the Colombian government thinks it can use the hostage situation as a card to played at national and international level".

Astrid Betancourt also indicated that she considers the election of Nicolas Sarkozy as a "positive sign" because "he wants a positive outcome (to the situation). France has a part to play as mediator and a relationship of trust has been established between Presidents Uribe and Sarkozy”, stated Ingrid Betancourt’s sister.

Nicolas Sarkozy has involved himself in the situation since coming to office as President early May. Friday last he “had a long telephone conversation “ with Alvaro Uribe about Ingrid’s fate. Sarkozy received the Betancourt family two days after his investiture and had made the freeing of Ingrid Betancourt a priority. Saturday during the meeting of the FICIB, the chairperson of the International federation of the League of Human Rights in Latin America, Luis Guillermo Perez, spoke about a” historic moment for a humanitarian agreement”(between FARC and the Colombian government).

President Uribe has been heavily criticised for allowing paramilitary crimes to go unpunished (editor’s note; FARC are on opposite sided to the paramilitaries). “ President Uribe needs to legitimise the situation”, he added. The Human Rights League chairperson explained, “There is so much international pressure that FARC must treat their hostages with care”. Guillermo Perez expressed hope that a humanitarian agreement might be “concluded before the end of the year”.