Mother of captive Colombian says hostage breakthrough more likely from rebels than president

The mother of a former presidential candidate held captive by Colombia’s leftist guerrillas said Tuesday she expects any breakthrough in negotiating the hostages’ release to come from the rebels, not the country’s president.

Yolanda Pulecio, whose daughter Ingrid Betancourt appeared gaunt and weary in a recently released video, said she met with several regional leaders on the sidelines of Argentina’s presidential inauguration Monday.

She said they had agreed to press Colombian President Alvaro Uribe to seek a humanitarian exchange with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, better known as the FARC. The rebels are seeking to swap high-profile hostages for jailed guerrillas.”*

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