France/Colombia

Betancourt welcomes former Farc rebel to France

Article published on the 2008-12-10 Latest update 2008-12-10 16:34 TU

Ingrid Betancourt and peace commissioner Restrepo look at the passport of former FARC rebel Wilson Bueno Largo.
(Photo: Reuters)

A former member of Colombia's Farc rebel group has arrived in Paris after becoming the first guerrilla to take advantage of a new deal in which France rewards those who help free hostages.

Former hostage Ingrid Betancourt met Wilson Bueno Largo and his partner Lilia Isabel as they stepped off the plane after arriving in France.

Betancourt was held in captivity in the Colombian jungle for six years.

Bueno is the first rebel to take advantage of a deal brokered between France and the Colombian government which rewards Farc rebels who defect.

He will be given a monthly allowance and a residency permit, although he speaks little French and knows nothing about the country.

France originally set up the deal to encourage the defection of Farc rebels and to help secure the release of Ingrid Betancourt, who was thought to be ill at the time.

Bueno fled Farc’s jungle camps with Oscar Lizcano in October and was allowed to leave the country after prosecutors dropped kidnapping charges against him.

Lizcano, who had been held captive for eight years, was a representative in Congress for Colombia's Conservative Party at the time of his kidnapping .

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner confirmed that France was helping former Farc members, but would not comment on reports Bueno will be paid a 330,000 euro reward.