Colombia’s Uribe soaks up the glory of Betancourt’s release

Garry Leech - a scholar in politics at Cape Breton University and editor of the Colombia Journal - notes that the events surrounding the rescue, as described by Colombian authorities who claimed they deceived the FARC into handing over the hostages, appears a “little far-fetched, even given the FARC’s current disarray”.

Leech claims that based on the evidence of various sources, the “alternative scenario” seems “far more plausible” in that:

… the liberation of the hostages resulted from a combination of the FARC agreeing to release them, government intelligence sources learning of the planned liberation, the bribing of the guerrilla commander in charge of guarding the hostages, and a staged rescue operation to make the Uribe administration and the Colombian military appear heroic.

In the last few months the guerrillas have been dealt some serious blows as Washington’s support for Plan Colombia - a counter-insurgency plan presented to the public under the guise of fighting narcotics - has been paying off.

In March, FARC commander and international spokesperson Raúl Reyes was killed after the Colombian military conducted a bombing raid into neighbouring Ecuador. In May, Nelly Ávila Moreno - known as “Karina” and head of the FARC’s 47th front - surrendered following the death of commander Iván Ríos, who is alleged to have been killed by his own chief of security after being bribed by authorities.

Then in the same month, the guerrillas’ long time leader Manuel Marulanda - a.k.a. “Sure Shot” - was confirmed to have died in March of natural causes. With hundreds of rebels regularly defecting, and three of the FARC’s top commanders dead, many observers are claiming the guerrillas are finished.

While this scenario can not be ruled out, as Leech points out, upbeat assessments of the war are often based on journalists uncritically accepting too many Colombian and US government reports.

In the urban centres though, it seems the FARC has little support due to its cruel policy of kidnapping, taxation of the cocaine trade and human rights abuses. Their abduction of Betancourt - a former senator who took on some of Colombia’s most corrupt politicians, including former president Ernesto Samper - was another error in a long line of many.

Now that she is free, Betancourt has not ruled out another run at the presidency in 2010, which could see her face off against a currently popular Uribe. Although Betancourt was quick to thank Uribe for the operation that led to her release, and is currently engaged in an international campaign for the FARC to free all its hostages, she has also stated the Colombian President needs to placate his "radical, extremist language of hate" against the rebels.

Perhaps, like in the past, Betancourt still believes it is best to negotiate with the FARC instead of attempting to destroy them militarily.