COLOMBIA:Colombia's foreign minister yesterday denied a report saying a prominent French-Colombian citizen held hostage by the left-wing guerrilla group Farc was on the verge of being released.
Denying the report in Venezuela's El Universalnewspaper, Fernando Araujo said he knew nothing of talks between the Farc and Colombian and Venezuelan governments aimed at securing the release of Ingrid Betancourt, a French-Colombian dual citizen kidnapped in 2002 while campaigning for Colombia's presidency.
Colombia was awash with upbeat talk about Ms Betancourt's release yesterday, thanks to the report by Venezuelan columnist Patricia Poleo, who said she was being held on a ranch in Venezuela belonging to a Farc rebel leader known as "Grannobles" pending final arrangements for her return to freedom.