Colombia Rescues Ingrid Betancourt and Three US Hostages
By Jonathan Winer
The dramatic news that Colombia had successfully rescued Ingrid Betancourt and three Americans held hostage for years by FARC terrorists represents a further break-through by the Uribe government in what has been an extraordinary year of successes against FARC.
We still don't have the details, but what is by now clear is that Colombia's decision to raid FARC camps across the border in Ecuador on March 1, which had the result of killing one of its senior leaders, Raul Reyes, and of obtaining critical intelligence held in FARC computers, provided information that in turn helped enable Colombia to secure a series of further objectives against FARC.
So far, all that is known is that the rescue took place in Eastern Colombia following months of surveillance by the Colombian government. Earlier this week, a French-Swiss mission had managed to resume contact with FARC hostage-takers. The former French consul in Bogota, Noel Saez, and the French-Swiss academic Jean-Pierre Gontard had met with a close associate of Alfonso Cano, the new FARC leader at an undisclosed location in the jungle in an effort to secure Betancourt's release. They had been authorized by the Colombian government to engage in dialogue in order to conclude a humanitarian agreement for a prisoner exchange. They were trying to restore a communication channel with the kidnappers. Clearly other things were going on at the same time. A prisoner for more than six years, Ingrid Betancourt has been reported to be in poor health. Less is known about the condition of the three US hostages kidnapped in 2003 during an anti-drug operation, Marc Gonsalves, Thomas Howes, and Keith Stansell.
This is a very big win for Colombia, which has steadfastly rejected FARC's demands for recognition, release of FARC guerrillas imprisoned by the Colombian government, and the creation of a demilitarized zone that would have allowed FARC safe-haven in designated areas. Prior to Colombia's March 1 raid, they were on a path to achieving political support for these objectives, aided by officials in Ecuador and Venezuela. With this rescue, which may well involve collaboration by defectors from within the FARC, the collapse of the FARC as a political, terrorist, and criminal force in Colombia, after 44 years, may be nearing.