Ingrid Betancourt, the former hostage released by
Colombia’s FARC revolutionaries this week, has
checked into a hospital located in
Paris
for medial examinations.
The checks
should disclose any health complications she might have suffered in the past
six years, when she was a captive in the Colombian jungle, said the BBC.
President Nicolas Sarkozy and First Lady Carla Bruni welcomed
the former captive together with a mass of people at the airport. Coming from Bogota, Betancourt arrived in France on a presidential plane.
"I am so happy to breathe the air of France. I owe France
everything," said she.
The Columbian government has denied the information
according to which in order to free the hostages, a random was paid.
At an earlier time this year, a few photographs surfaced,
revealing Betancourt looking weak and in poor health. She was believed to have
been ill, being suspected even of hepatitis.
In the meantime, Colombia has released a video
recorded on Friday during the brave rescue operation. The prisoners are seen
wearing plastic handcuffs and appear to be disappointed whilst they are taken
to a helicopter.
Betancourt, a former Colombian presidential candidate, aged
46, was freed together with 14 other hostages after the perpetrators were
allegedly tricked into handing them over to military staff disguised as
autonomous organization workers.
The United States,
Colombia
and the countries which have joined the European Union have nominated the FARC,
responsible for taking Betancourt as hostage, a terrorist group. The
organization is said to be holding more than 700 hostages in jungle areas, said
Voice of America.
