Ex-hostage Betancourt thanks Hugo Chavez

Former hostage Ingrid Betancourt met with Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez as she came to the tail end of her tour of Latin America.

During the meeting on Monday she thanked Chavez for his previous mediation in the conflict between the Colombian government and the FARC guerillas. Despite his removal as liaison last year, Betancourt said that his aid was vital in securing the freedom of several former hostages.

Betancourt had more to say on Chavez during a press conference on Tuesday:

"President Chávez is a leftist, revolutionary president who has conducted a peaceful revolution in Venezuela. Obviously, I do not share some things. For instance, a square in Venezuela was named after (deceased guerilla chief) Manuel Marulanda," said Betancourt, AFP quoted.

"I think that the fact that President Chávez has these feelings of ideological proximity to the FARC is a blessing after all, because somebody is to talk to the FARC," she added.

Betancourt also called for other global leaders to be more active in finding a peaceful solution to Colombia’s armed conflict and demanded that the FARC lay down there weapons.

Betancourt- who was liberated in a rescue mission last July- is heading for France. She will be accompanied by an ex-FARC rebel who fled camp in October along with an elderly politico held hostage.

Image- PRESS TV
Sources- The Latin Americanist, El Universal, BBC News, Voice of America, AP, Xinhua