MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Betancourt calls for dialogue and end to “hatred” language

Recently liberated hostage and former Colombian presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt said President Alvaro Uribe should soften his tone when dealing with the FARC rebel group and urged him to break with the language of “hatred”.

"President Uribe, and not just President Uribe but Colombia as a whole, should change some things" said Ms Betancourt speaking in Paris with RF1, her first public criticism of her one-time political rival since her liberation. "I think the time has come to change the language of radicalism, extremism and hatred, the very strong words that cause deep hurt to a human being," she said, adding that tolerance and respect were needed. "There comes a time when one has to agree to talk to the people you hate". Her statements come when Colombia announced it would seek direct hostage talks with the FARC group following last week's stunning rescue of 15 captives, adding it may suspend the role of European countries that have tried to mediate a deal. The rescue of Ingrid Betancourt, three US defense contractors and 11 Colombian soldiers and police officers after years in captivity has strengthened the government's bargaining position against the guerrillas. "The decision that we have made ? following the liberation of Ingrid, the three US nationals and the members of our security forces ? is to put efforts in motion to make direct contact" Colombian Peace Commissioner Luis Carlos Restrepo told a local radio in Bogota. France, Spain and Switzerland have been seeking to broker an accord with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, known as the FARC, for the release of 25 high-profile hostages, some of whom have been held for more than 10 years in secret jungle camps. FARC additionally holds hundreds of hostages for ransom. "We believe we have to reevaluate. There are problems with some of the present facilitators," Restrepo said. "We have the FARC fractured and we would prefer direct contact, among other things, to talk about peace". Betancourt was full of praise for President Uribe following her release, but her re-emergence from the jungle has prompted speculation that she might return to politics and stand for president again at the next election. Betancourt stood against Uribe in the 2002 presidential election and was kidnapped ahead of the vote. Uribe went on to triumph and won re-election in 2006 after the constitution was amended to let him serve a second term. Colombia's leading weekly news magazine, Semana, published a poll this week saying the former hostage leads other possible candidates for the presidency. Betancourt said it was too soon to say if she would return to Colombian politics, telling RFI that Uribe had done "very good things for Colombia", but adding: "We are not on the same (political) side".