Ingrid Betancourt

Nine soldiers are killed in a clash with left-wing Farc rebels in south-western Colombia, officials say. Read Full Story

At least 18 leftist rebels and soldiers were killed in the past week in southwestern Colombia clashes as Latin America's oldest guerrilla conflict continues to rage, a military official said Saturday. Thirteen members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), which has been battling the government in Bogota for 45 years, and five soldiers were killed in the fighting, the official told AFP. The toll could not immediately be confirmed by an independent source. The military operation, which unfolded in a mountainous region of Cauca department, was launched 10 days ago to "neutralize" guerilla activity and "halt drug trafficking" in this area close ... Read Full Story

A suspected member of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), wanted by the US on terrorism charges, has been arrested, Colombian authorities said. Maribel Gallego Rubio, known as "Maritza", was arrested in Bogota, DAS security service said, without providing the date of the arrest. The guerrilla was captured by intelligence officers with the support of Interpol Colombia. "According to the investigation, Maritza had contact with the FARC secretariat and was the logistics coordinator" for "the acquisition of cutting-edge technical equipment, such as satellite telephones, scanners and computers", the DAS said. Maritza, who allegedly belonged to the FARC's 1st Front, is the niece of ... Read Full Story

Plans for South American neighbors to renew diplomatic ties after nearly going to war in 2008 stalled Thursday following an Ecuadoran arrest warrant for the chief of Colombia's armed forces. A meeting of the commanders of each country's military in Ecuador was cancelled when an Ecuadoran judge issued an arrest warrant for Colombian General Freddy Padilla, Ecuadoran Security Minister Miguel Carvajal said. A Colombian source told AFP that Bogota feared an attempt to arrest Padilla would trigger another crisis. Padilla was scheduled Friday to meet Ecuadoran General Fabian Varela in the northern city of Ibarra as part of the process aimed to renew ties. ... Read Full Story

Former Franco-Colombian hostage Ingrid Betancourt called on the FARC guerrilla group to free all the prisoners it is holding in the jungles of Colombia. "I want to talk to the FARC and tell them that we are disgusted. I want to talk to the FARC to say to them that enough is enough and that we want them to open the door," she said late Thursday. Betancourt, a former Colombian presidential candidate who was held for more than six years by the FARC, made the remarks after being awarded a prize for courage from Radio Canada and Reporters Without Borders. Betancourt was freed July ... Read Full Story