BREAKING: Ingrid Betancourt Reported Rescued

Not a lot to put into the diary yet, but the AP is reporting that Ingrid and 3 American hostages have been rescued. I put "Released/Rescued" in the title because there is no word yet if it was a military freeing or a prisoner exchange release.

Regardless, thank you to all that is holy that her six year nightmare is over.

I'll edit in anything else I find. But it's certainly a day to celebrate!

UPDATE: a slightly more informative AP article here. Edited title as it would appear it was a rescue and not an exchange/release.

3 updates after the fold. The Americans freed were Marc Gonsalves, Thomas Howes and Keith Stansell

UPDATE 2: a much more informative AP article here. Would seem it was a military operation. They were able to capture rebels working a security perimeter and then get them to convince the captors to surrender. Amazingly no deaths.

UPDATE 3: Some more stories/sources

Telegraph
Reuters
Times Online UK

And the first article I've seen with anything from her family here

UPDATE 4: MSNBC article which includes the names of the American's freed (Marc Gonsalves, Thomas Howes and Keith Stansell) here

•  Who?

  I'm going to have to look up who Ingrid Betancourt is, who she's being held by, where she's from, etc.

  For you, she may be a household name, but ignorami like me would like some context.

  by SeattleDanny on Wed Jul 02, 2008 at 12:37:39 PM PDT

  •  Ah, quick explanation inside

    Former Columbian Senator and one time Presidential nominee who was abducted by the FARC rebels in Feb. 2002 while campaigning.

    by wheelimus on Wed Jul 02, 2008 at 12:40:09 PM PDT

  •  Former presidential candidate in Colombia

    She's been held hostage by the leftist guerrillas for I don't know how many years -- six?  eight?  ten?

    Last reports were that she had a serious illness, perhaps near death.

    Major, major international efforts have been underway to negotiate her release, including the personal involvement of French President Nicolas Sarkozy (Betancourt has dual citizenship) and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

    Some people think the Colombian cross-border raid into Ecuador last spring that killed a high-ranking official of the FARC was designed to circumvent negotiations that might have led to her release.

    by litho on Wed Jul 02, 2008 at 12:40:57 PM PDT

    •  6 years

      according to the reporter on MSNBC just now.  2002.

      by Terre on Wed Jul 02, 2008 at 12:47:03 PM PDT

  •  Wiki

    http://en.wikipedia.org/...

    by Mogolori on Wed Jul 02, 2008 at 01:38:34 PM PDT

•  She's a former presidential candidate

  And also holds dual citizenship in France, so her kidnapping has been a very big deal over there.

  by state29 on Wed Jul 02, 2008 at 12:39:22 PM PDT

•  This is great news...

  ...for many reasons, and one of the biggest is that it will shut the epically unhelpful mouth of Ingrid's mom, who found fault with every strategy to secure her release unless it involved emptying the jails of guerrillas.

  by Rich in PA on Wed Jul 02, 2008 at 12:41:11 PM PDT

  •  Hide-rated

    for the mean-spirited attack on the hostage's mother.

    by litho on Wed Jul 02, 2008 at 12:44:18 PM PDT

    •  Yolanda Pulecio has put herself out there...

      ...as She Who Must Be Obeyed on how to deal with the FARC, and it's been terrible advice from start to finish.  I'm glad that it's been a happy finish.

      by Rich in PA on Wed Jul 02, 2008 at 12:47:08 PM PDT

•  That is happy news!

  Thanks!

  by LaKathie on Wed Jul 02, 2008 at 12:41:55 PM PDT

•  Happy Tears are rolling...

  I just heard the news.  I hope it is true.
  If you don't know who Ingrid Betancourt is check out wiki:
  http://en.wikipedia.org/...

  She was running for president in Colombia when she was kidnapped 6 years ago.   Her autobiography "Until Death Do Us Part: My Struggle to Reclaim Colombia" was a bestseller in France and you can probably find it at the library.  An inspiring read.

  by DoryO on Wed Jul 02, 2008 at 12:43:22 PM PDT

•  Beeb has a slightly more detailed report

  here.  Provides a little background on Betancourt, but not much.

  by litho on Wed Jul 02, 2008 at 12:43:46 PM PDT

•  So glad for their rescue

  I'm ashamed to say I don't even remember this, or know who they are.

  However, as I tidy my tinfoil headpiece, isn't it a coincidence that McSame also happens to be there?  Who will be the first to try and make a connection?

  Bleh.

  by Terre on Wed Jul 02, 2008 at 12:44:44 PM PDT

  •  A friends reacton a few minutes ago

    "I wonder if McCain personally freed them. Now THAT would be a good political stunt".

    Ha, I'm just glad that the joy of the moment allows for jokes of fun and not tears of pain.

    by wheelimus on Wed Jul 02, 2008 at 12:47:31 PM PDT

    •  That same thought occured to me, too

      I would not be surprised for him to reference the incident at some point in campaigning,however, to "hint" at his foreign policy expertise.

      by Catte Nappe on Wed Jul 02, 2008 at 12:58:40 PM PDT

      •  How you know it wasn't McCain

        No casualties.

        Something tells me Johnny Mc would have rushed in shooting. Killing all of the rebels...and probably Ingrid.

        by wheelimus on Wed Jul 02, 2008 at 01:02:11 PM PDT

      •  FARC has been alleged to be working *with*

        the Colombian government and the U.S. in some issues (sorry, no links, but I'm sure they can be found pretty easily).  Betancourt was an embarrassment to all of them.  Something is mighty fishy here, IMHO.

        by ArtSchmart on Wed Jul 02, 2008 at 01:06:50 PM PDT

        •  It turns out that guerrillas are stupid

          They were punk'd by the Colombian military, which is a first. http://www.youtube.com/... (in Spanish)

          by Rich in PA on Wed Jul 02, 2008 at 01:25:57 PM PDT

          •  Thanks. Spanish not a problem.

            I still think something smells fishy here.  This was the official version, but things don't usually work that well.

            by ArtSchmart on Wed Jul 02, 2008 at 01:34:34 PM PDT

            •  You know, if the fix really is in...

              ...that could only be even better news.  A one-off deception, as the government is claiming, would actually be the worst-case scenario because it means the two sides still hate each other.  If they're really in cahoots, then we won't have to get to peace via the government annihilating the guerrillas front-by-front.

              by Rich in PA on Wed Jul 02, 2008 at 01:36:50 PM PDT

              •  Stay tuned, I guess.... n/t

                by ArtSchmart on Wed Jul 02, 2008 at 01:42:57 PM PDT

            •  I agree

              The very idea was called "silly" on anothr diary because the Columbian-American voter base here is so small. This is more about the greater Hispanic community and the whole Latin American free trade issue is being targeted that way. Here's McCain's recent ad on free trade:

              McCain is seeking Hispanic voters.

              by MKSinSA on Wed Jul 02, 2008 at 01:45:35 PM PDT

              •  I was on that other thread, too.

                Jeffinalabama is going to be making phone calls to see what he can find out.

                I don't have any evidence that anything is wrong, just a nasty inkling -- that usually has proven right in the past.

                by ArtSchmart on Wed Jul 02, 2008 at 01:49:20 PM PDT

                •  Hehe, sorry about 2 diaries BUT

                  I was first ;o)

                  All in jest. Such a wonderful day.

                  by wheelimus on Wed Jul 02, 2008 at 07:02:42 PM PDT

•  Owww. Awesome news

  God bless her! Simply awesome news for the world and Colombia. This WILL change things over there.

  by Joeytj on Wed Jul 02, 2008 at 12:55:50 PM PDT

•  Le Monde calls it a rescue.

  Apparently the Colombian military intervened. All those liberated (including Betancourt) are "safe and sound."

  by mofembot on Wed Jul 02, 2008 at 12:56:25 PM PDT

•  Added a few more articles/sources

  Under the fold, lol, finally ran out of intro room ;o)

  CELEBRATE GOOD TIMES, COME ON!

  by wheelimus on Wed Jul 02, 2008 at 01:00:18 PM PDT

•  According to semana.com...

  ...the soldiers came via helicopter, tricked the guerrillas into believing they were guerrillas sent by Alfonso cano (the new FARC leader) to bring the hostages to another part of the country.  They said the helicopter belonged to an NGO.  That's how it went off without a shot.

  by Rich in PA on Wed Jul 02, 2008 at 01:15:09 PM PDT

  •  http://www.youtube.com/eltiempotv

    The Colombian defense minister explains it all for you, in Spanish of course.  Pretty clever stuff, and good thing it worked because you can only try it once :)

    by Rich in PA on Wed Jul 02, 2008 at 01:18:30 PM PDT

•  I am curious about the timing of this.

  John McCain just happens to be in Columbia, and stories of McCain's big money supporter being linked to the right wing terrorist group inside Columbia, and John McCain behind in the polls.  Obama is against the CAFTA, while McCain is for it.  Could there be politics involved?

  by kanuk on Wed Jul 02, 2008 at 01:20:52 PM PDT

  •  Doubt it, but..

    If McCain realized his pond-scum could contact other pond-scum and help with the release...who cares. 6 years is about 6 years too long for anyone to have to be held captive.

    With that in mind...can we close Gitmo already?

    by wheelimus on Wed Jul 02, 2008 at 01:25:50 PM PDT

    •  Oh, don't get me wrong, it is long over due

      that this woman was released.  She should have been freed years ago.  Columbia is one of the most corrupt nations in the world.

      by kanuk on Wed Jul 02, 2008 at 01:28:45 PM PDT