Colombia offers to free rebels in Betancourt swap

Reuters (excerpt) ^ | March 28, 2008 | Hugh Bronstein

[HAL9000]

Excerpt -

BOGOTA, March 28 (Reuters) - Colombia will free hundreds of guerrilla fighters if rebel leaders release politician Ingrid Betancourt, who is in ill health after being held hostage for years in secret jungle camps, the government said.

President Alvaro Uribe signed a decree late on Thursday allowing the massive release of guerrillas from jail if French-Colombian Betancourt, kidnapped during her 2002 presidential campaign and ailing from hepatitis B, is set free, Peace Commissioner Luis Carlos Restrepo told reporters. The decree was a bid to speed up efforts at swapping rebel-held politicians, police and soldiers for jailed guerrillas after months of haggling over conditions.

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[wardaddy]

I don't usualy cotton to deals with terrs but this poor woman has suffered enough in this very long ongoing war while being held by these bastards:

[livius]

Many of the guerrillas are probably people seized as children by FARC and basically pressed into the FARC “squadrons.” Granted, these people spent years in FARC camps and were heavily indoctrinated, but initially it was not their choice. The reason Colombia was able to succeed with its programs to offer amnesties and reintegrate these people into normal life was that most of them were not voluntarily FARC members in any case.

I imagine it will be the same with the guerrillas they release. I really hope they are able to get Isabel Betancourt out of there.