BOGOTA (AFP) — Colombian leftist rebels faced renewed public pressure to release their remaining jungle-held hostages Monday after more than four million people took to the streets in Colombia and around the world to highlight their plight.
Crowds gathered in 1,000 towns and cities across Colombia on Sunday, demanding the liberation of hundreds of hostages still held by Marxist rebels following last month's dramatic rescue of French-Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt and 14 others.
In Paris, Betancourt led chants of "No more hostages!" as she addressed a crowd of several thousand people who came to watch artists perform in a square across the river Seine from the Eiffel Tower.
Colombian star Juanes, Spain's Miguel Bose, and French artists Renan Luce and Michel Delpech were among the singers playing at the concert.
At Betancourt's side was the socialist Bertrand Delanoe, who told the crowd: "Our duty is to continue fighting for the liberation of all hostages in Colombia."
Madrid and other European cities saw smaller rallies in support of the hostages, but the main events were to be held in Latin America, with the highlight expected to be a concert in Colombia by pop star Shakira.
In Washington, thousands of people gathered outside the White House asking for the hostages' release, and Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez called on the US Congress to pass a pending free trade agreement with Colombia, in view of its national day.
Organizers said pro-hostage rallies were held in cities across the world: 30 in Latin America, 22 in Europe, six in Asia, 27 in the United States, four in Canada and two in Australia.
Betancourt was rescued July 2 by Colombian armed forces who said they had tricked her captors into handing her over along with three Americans and 11 other Colombian hostages.
Betancourt, 46, was abducted in 2002 by rebels from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) while campaigning for the Colombian presidency.
After being reunited with her children, who live in Paris, she returned to France where her ordeal in the Colombian jungle had turned her into a national heroine.
The FARC continues to hold an estimated 700 hostages. Up to 2,000 more are believed to be held by the National Liberation Army, another leftist rebel group. Sunday's rallies are calling for their immediate release.
The marches coincide with independence day celebrations in the southern town of Leticia, attended by President Alvaro Uribe and his guests, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil and Alan Garcia of Peru.
Shakira, Colombia's world-famous pop icon, sang Colombia's national anthem at the start of that commemoration before she was to launch into a concert in support of hostage liberation.
In Bogota, the central city square was turned into a sea of white, as 1.5 million people donned white shirts bearing slogans such as "Free them already," "No more kidnappings" and "Peace for Colombia."
Organizers said more than four million people poured into the streets in towns and cities across Colombia, in the country's third pro-hostage mass rally event so far this year.
A championship soccer match in Bogota was stopped and the players observed a minute of silence for the rebel hostages.
Colombian Interior and Justice Minister Fabio Valencia issued a "call to dialogue, reconciliation and peace," telling FARC that Colombians were fed up with violence and kidnapping.
Some of the 14 other hostages who were freed with Betancourt through a Colombian military operation were present here and in other cities although three US defense contractors liberated at the same time were back in the United States and not participating.
There were fears of a possible attack during the event. On Friday, Bogota authorities arrested two suspected FARC rebels, seizing from them about 30 kilograms of explosives which they allegedly planned to use during the march.
Sunday's concerts went ahead as the controversy surrounding just how Betancourt and her companions came to be released continued.
According to a report Sunday in Spain's Vanguardia newspaper, French, Israeli and US secret services were involved in the operation.
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