FRANCE/ BELGIUM: Ingrid Betancourt's family call for the US to take a greater role in pressing for her release from Colombian rebels

The children of kidnapped Colombian-French politician Ingrid Betancourt on Thursday urged the United States to play a greater role in seeking the release of their mother and scores of other hostages held by Colombian guerrillas, as events across Europe marked Betancourt's two-thousandth day in captivity. Ingrid Betancourt's family want proof she is still alive. At a press conference to mark 2,000 days of captivity, Betancourt's children appealed to the marxist guerillas FARC to give hard evidence that their mother is still living and in good health. Betancourt was kidnapped by the Colombian revolutionary armed forces 2000 days ago. "We get the impression that, whatever the outcome, no matter how big our struggle is, no matter how loudly we scream, the FARC never listen to us when we ask for proof of life," said Melanie Delloye, Betancourt's daughter, at a press conference on Thursday (August 16). "They completely ignore that call for humanity that we are asking for. I would like that you all in the international community would help us get this call to them so that they can no longer ignore the absolute need to have proof of life of my mother and Clara and of all the others about whom we have no news for so long." The ex-green candidate to the Colombian presidency, who is now 45 years old, was kidnapped with others by the Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces on February 23rd, 2002. She was last seen on video in 2003, the tape apparently recorded by the FARC. Since then, John Franck Pinchao, who himself managed to escape from the FARC in May this year, asserted he had shared captivity with Ingrid Betancourt, and was, according to him, in good health until then. Betancourt's daughter Melanie reminded the United States government of the fact that three American citizens were also being held hostage, and called for the Bush administration to involve themselves into the negotiations for their release. Events took place across the world to mark the 2000th day of captivity. In Brussels, there was a small demonstration at the foot of the Atomium monument. (The Atomium was built for the 1958 Brussels World Fair, but has since become a tourist attraction in Belgium's capital.) Organisers hung posters of Ingrid Betancourt on the monument, calling for her release. The Coordinator of Betancourt's Support Committee, Armand Burguet said supporters will continue agitating until Betancourt is freed: "We are convinced that Ingrid is alive," he said. "We also believe that if she is still alive then so are the others; at least those who were not assassinated with the 11 members of parliament killed in June by the FARC. Among other things, that is thanks to the international mobilisation, the media exposure given to our activities. We will continue and we will not stop."

ITN Source | August 17, 2007

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