BOGOTA, Colombia — Colombia’s most famous hostage, former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt, turned 46 on Tuesday, with her family worrying for her health as she marks her sixth birthday in captivity in a rebel jungle camp.
Last week, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, said it would hand over Betancourt’s running mate, Clara Rojas, Rojas’ young son, Emmanuel, and a former congresswoman, Consuelo Gonzalez.
The Betancourt family is worried for the health of the French- Colombian politician, who was snatched along with Rojas in 2002. A video that surfaced in November showed Betancourt looking gaunt, her stare fixed on the ground, her unkempt hair hanging down to her waist.
The rebels are holding 700 people but are offering to exchange 47 prominent hostages, including Betancourt and three U.S. defense contractors, for hundreds of imprisoned guerrillas.
