The former husband of a French- Colombian hostage has said he fears she may have already died in the hands of the Farc rebel guerilla group.
'I am afraid that Ingrid Betancourt is either dying or already dead,' Fabrice Delloye said.
'What worries me most is the latest statement by the Colombian government, and I wonder if they have information that we do not and are in the process of shielding themselves.'
However, the head of a global support group, Olivier Roubi, said he was convinced that Ms Betancourt was still alive.
Colombia's independent public ombudsman, Volmar Perez, had said reports indicated that 'the state of her health is very delicate, and her physical and health conditions have been deteriorating'.
He said according to residents in an area where Ms Betancourt was taken by her captors to be treated, the high-profile hostage was suffering from hepatitis B and leishmania, a skin disease caused by insect bites.
