The former presidential candidate in Colombia, Ingrid Betancourt, held hostage by FARC, nearly died during the course of a hunger strike when in captivity. Her mother Yolanda Pulecio announced this on Saturday last, 23 October 2004.

Mrs Pulecio stated to AFP that she had received a telephone call, the day before, from a person who had met a 'doctor' attending FARC rebels.

"The doctor told this person that Ingrid had gone on hunger strikes on three occasions and that in the course of one of these she had nearly died and that it had been necessary to tie her up in order to administer life saving medicines" stated Ingrid's mother.

Mrs Pulecio, who has refused to identify her source, has shared this distressing news with the other members of the Betancourt family.

FARC rebels kidnapped Ingrid Betancourt on 23 February 2002 when she was a Green party candidate in the Presidential elections in Colombia.

According to official sources, FARC currently hold 1600 hostages, 21 political representatives, 47 army officers, 3 Americans, and others are civilian Colombians. 300 FARC rebels are currently detained in local prisons in Colombia.