By John Ward Anderson
Washington Post Foreign Service
Thursday, July 3, 2008

PARIS, July 2 -- The rescue of French-Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt from more than six years of captivity by rebels in Colombia triggered an outpouring of relief and emotion in France, capped by a live late-night television broadcast by President Nicolas Sarkozy announcing the news while flanked by members of Betancourt's family.

"Today seals the end of an ordeal that lasted for more than six years," Sarkozy said in an 11:30 p.m. broadcast from the Elysee Palace. Sarkozy said French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner and members of Betancourt's family would leave for Colombia within hours on a French government plane.

Betancourt's sister, Astrid Betancourt, said that when Colombia's defense minister told her by telephone of the release, "I had a hard time thinking that it was true."

Betancourt's daughter, Melanie Delloye-Betancourt, called it "the moment we've been waiting for for so long. Words can't express what our family feels tonight."

Her voice cracking, she thanked Sarkozy in particular, saying that since he took office last summer, "things started to change, and today Mummy is here. . . . It is as if we were waking up from a nightmare."

Sarkozy, who tried unsuccessfully to broker Betancourt's release, urged her kidnappers from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, rebel group to "stop your absurd fight," adding that France was "ready to welcome the ones who will give up the armed struggle."

With her dual Colombian and French citizenship, Betancourt became a celebrity in France. Her father was a Colombian diplomat, and she moved to the country after he was posted here. She grew up in Paris, attending the city's prestigious Institute of Political Sciences. She married a French diplomat, which allowed her to become a French citizen. That marriage ended in divorce.

Her former husband, Fabrice Delloye, and their son and daughter live in Paris, and they made Betancourt's release a cause celebre. Supporters organized rallies and concerts across the country to push for her release.

Delloye said Sarkozy had called him personally with the news.

"I want to thank everyone that worked for her release," he said.