Ingrid Betancourt lands in Bogota, a free woman (Extra)

Americas News

Jul 2, 2008, 22:34 GMT

Bogota - Former Colombian presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt and 14 other former hostages held for years by leftist rebels arrived at Bogota's Catam military base late Wednesday, hours after they were rescued by the country's military forces. Dressed in military fatigues and a grey T-shirt, a smiling Betancourt was the first to exit the plane that took the hostages to the Colombian capital. She first hugged her mother Yolanda Pulecio, who had fought tirelessly to secure her release. Then she greeted her husband and many others waiting for her. Betancourt, 46, was the most high-profile hostage held by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) since her kidnapping on February 23, 2002. At the military base, Colombian Defence Minister Juan Manuel Santos described the rescue effort as an 'operation fit for a film.' Earlier, Betancourt had described the operation as 'impeccable' and not a shot was fired. She said the hostages had boarded a helicopter to allegedly be transferred. The crew dressed like rebels and talked like rebels, she noted. 'I prayed to God that he give me strength to bear these humiliations and so many others, when there was suddenly a blow and they neutralized the rebels who had boarded the helicopter with us,' she said. 'The operation chief shouted: 'We are from the National Army and you are free,'' Betancourt told the radio. Tears prevented her from completing the account. 'It is very beautiful, thank you Colombia,' she said of her rescue. 'I think this is an action for peace in Colombia. We can achieve peace if we trust our armed forces,' Betancourt said in initial comments to a military radio station. 'Peace is possible with intelligence, with prudence.' Even before footage of her following her release was made public, Betancourt explained that she was hoping for a rescue by force because she saw no other way out of her six-and-a-half years of captivity. The former presidential candidate's family had adamantly opposed any attempts to free her by force, arguing that it put her life at risk. FARC rebels had orders to kill her and other hostages if faced with the concrete risk that the military would attempt a rescue.

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