American Abducted in Colombia Doing Well

Marc Gonsalves sits in an undisclosed location in southern Colombia, guarded by rebels of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), in this July 25, 2003, file photo. Gonsalves' mother Jo Rosano met Friday, July 6, 2007 with a Colombian policeman who shared some time in the same rebel camp with Gonsalves. (AP Photo/Jorge Enrique Botero) (Jorge Enrique Botero - AP)

Families of the kidnapped are united in opposing military rescues, fearing the hostages will be cut down in the crossfire. Rosano, like others, is demanding negotiation between the government and the rebels.

On Monday in Washington, extradited Colombian rebel leader Ricardo Palmera was convicted of helping hold the U.S. contractors hostage.

Jurors found Palmera guilty of conspiracy to commit hostage-taking but were still deliberating on whether to convict him of supporting terrorism and three counts of actual hostage-taking.

Rosano said she worried that the conviction would make it harder to win the hostages' release.

The FARC _ listed by the State Department as a "foreign terrorist organization" _ are demanding the freeing of all their imprisoned comrades, including Palmera and a fellow rebel just sentenced to 16 years in prison, in exchange for releasing around 50 high-value hostages, including the three Americans and former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt.

Rosano was also relieved to hear that physically her son is in good shape, despite contracting Hepatitis A since his abduction.

"The guerrillas treated him and he's OK," said Rosano. "Jhon said that Marc is thin, but has muscle as they are allowed to exercise or read during their free time."

Pinchao also told Rosano that Gonsalves has taken to reading the Bible.

"He's definitely growing spiritually," said Rosano.

Pinchao's quick recovery from nearly nine years in captivity has given Rosano hope for the day her son is freed.

"It really can't be as a bad as I feared, to see him so well-adjusted and to look so good."