Fears grow for hostage’s health

Fears are growing for the health of Ingrid Betancourt, the 46-year-old French-Colombian politician who has been held captive in the jungle by Farc guerillas for six years. Her ex-husband, Fabrice Delloye, said in France he feared she was "near death or already dead" while local peasants claim she is sick and losing the will to live.

There were hopes early today that Betancourt might be released. Nicolas Sarkozy's Falcon 900 executive jet was dispatched over the weekend and is waiting on a runway near Cayenne in French Guyana in expectation of Betancourt's liberation.

But Betancourt is said to be seriously ill, suffering from malnutrition and hepatitis-B. Her plight was examined by The First Post last month when the killing by Colombian troops of the Farc guerilla army's number two, Paul Reyes, was said to have jeopardised her life because he was the man negotiating her release.

However, Olivier Roubi, vice-president of the international pressure group fighting for Mme Betancourt's release, said today: "Things are pointing in the right direction. We can only hope that negotiations are in progress to secure her liberation."

Mme Betancort has joint French and Colombian nationality. She was campaigning for the presidency of Colombia, on a platform of an anti-drugs and anti-corruption legislation, when she was kidnapped just outside Bogota in February 2002. She is one of hundreds of hostages held by the Marxist guerilla group.

President Sarkozy promised during his election campaign last spring that he would work towards Betancourt's release. The Elysee Palace said yesterday: "Information on the state of Ingrid Betancourt's health, and possible dealings for her liberation, led the President... to pre-position a medically equipped aircraft in Guyana, ready to intervene at any moment." ·