This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/europe/7504592.stm

The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
French top honour for Betancourt Bastille Day award for Betancourt
(1 day later)
France has honoured the former hostage Ingrid Betancourt, who was rescued from Colombian rebels earlier this month. Ingrid Betancourt, the former hostage rescued from Colombian rebels earlier this month, has received France's highest award, the Legion of Honour.
An official announcement said Ms Betancourt has been appointed a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour. President Nicolas Sarkozy presented the award at the traditional Bastille Day garden party in Paris's Elysee Palace.
The decoration, one of France's highest civilian honours, will be formally presented to her by President Nicolas Sarkozy on 14 July, Bastille Day. The award was a way of acknowledging the former hostage as a symbol of hope, he said, adding that other hostages around the world should be freed.
Ms Betancourt - who has Colombian and French citizenship - received a hero's welcome in France 10 days ago. Ms Betancourt spent six years in the hands of the Colombian rebels.
The president will confer the honour on her on France's national holiday at a garden party in the grounds of the Elysee Palace. The 46-year-old thanked the French president, and said she was counting on him to help free the scores of other hostages held by the group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc).
Tricked But she added that the remaining hostages were probably being treated worse as a result of her rescue.
She was freed on 2 July, after held for six-and-a-half years in the Colombian jungle by left-wing rebels from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc). "My heart bleeds because my companions of misfortune, other Colombians like myself still remain in the hands of Farc," she told crowds gathered for the ceremony on the palace lawns.
They had been tricked into handing over the hostages by Colombian soldiers posing as rebels. "They don't have any voice, they are alone and they are probably treated even worse than before after what happened 10 days ago. Their chains are probably shorter than before," she said.
Ms Betancourt, 46, had been kidnapped by the group in 2002 while she was campaigning to be president. Presidential aspirations
Ms Betancourt was freed along with 14 other hostages by Colombian agents in an audacious operation on 2 July.
Ms Betancourt's story has drawn a wide circle of well-wishersMs Betancourt - who has Colombian and French citizenship - received a hero's welcome in France 10 days ago.
She has said that France's influence had helped the rescue operation pass off peacefully.She has said that France's influence had helped the rescue operation pass off peacefully.
Ms Betancourt was campaigning for the presidency against current incumbent Alvaro Uribe when she was kidnapped by Farc guerrillas. The 46-year-old was rescued when her Marxist rebel captors were tricked into handing over their hostages by Colombian soldiers posing as rebels.
She had been kidnapped by the group in 2002 while she was campaigning to be Colombia's president against the current incumbent, Alvaro Uribe.
After her release she thanked Mr Uribe and said she still aspired "to serve Colombia as president".After her release she thanked Mr Uribe and said she still aspired "to serve Colombia as president".