Cross-posted from The Global Sociology Blog.

This really makes me happy. It’s about time too. After six years as a hostage of the FARC, Ingrid Betancourt is finally free.

Via Le Monde (who has extensive reporting on this). It is an operation conducted by the Colombian armed forces that led to the liberation of Ingrid Betancourt, along with three American citizens (military contractors - Marc Gonsalves, Thomas Howes and Keith Stansell, all featured in the documentary Held Hostage in Colombia - and eleven Colombian soldiers, all held hostages by the FARC.

The news was delivered by Juan Manuel Santos, the Colombian Defense Minister. All the hostages were held in the Southeastern part of the country (see here for complete timeline of the operation and here for a photo essay on Ingrid Betancourt).

In her first statements over the radio, Ingrid Betancourt thanked God and the Colombian soldiers. According to the President Sarkozy, she is in good health. In a press conference attended by Ingrid Betancourt’s children, Sarkozy thanks the Colombian President and all the other heads of state who have contributed to the success of the operation.

It took a year of planning and intelligence gathering by the Colombian military to set up this operation. The operation also involved infiltration of the highest level of FARC organization. This was essential for the success of the operation because, initially, the hostages were held in three different locations. But after the death of FARC leader Manuel Marulanda, the leadership decided to get them all in one place under the control of Alfonso Cano. The operation took place during the transfer of one group of hostages to deliver them to Cano. The intellience operation also involvef paid informants as well as immunity and protection offered to witnesses. All this at the initiative of Colombian President Uribe. This is success is definitely his.

If the Colombian President, government and military are the big winners of this operation (along with the hostages, of course), the big loser is the FARC. It is unclear how long this group can survive after several significant blows. One thing is for sure, the FARC is definitely weakened, having lost enormous leverage with the liberation of such high-value hostages. Moreover, there is now less pressure on President Uribe to negotiate with them. FARC still holds approximately 40 hostages, but this is still a major blow.

More reporting on this from the Guardian and the Independent.

Photo Source: AFP/HO, from article.