Colombian President Alvaro Uribe on Thursday urged the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) to free Franco-Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt and other hostages ahead of an EU-Latin American summit in Peru.
"Hopefully, now before the summit begins, the FARC terrorist movement or one of its spokesmen announce the release of Ingrid Betancourt and the other kidnapping victims," Uribe told a press conference after meeting with Czech Republic Prime Minister Miroslav Topolanek.
However, if there is no announcement of the hostage-freeing from FARC, Uribe said, the government forces will look for the hostages' locations in different regions of the country and start military rescues.
Betancourt's family fiercely rejected the option of military rescue, saying it will "condemn them (hostages) to death."
Betancourt was kidnapped in the south of Colombia in February 2002 when she was traveling to Caqueta province as part of her presidential campaign.
FARC has offered to swap 45 hostages, among them politicians, military men and four foreigners, for the release of 500 guerillas held in prison.
Uribe made the announcement before his trip to Peru to attend the 5th Latin American, Caribbean and European Union summit. The summit will discuss global warming, poverty and a recent surge in world food prices, which has triggered off violence in several countries.
Source:Xinhua
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