The government has allowed  French diplomats to negotiate with FARC rebels over the release of Ingrid Betancourt, a Colombian politician who is also a French citizen. She was kidnapped by FARC three years ago and is being offered in exchange for hundreds of jailed FARC members. The government refuses to release criminals in exchange for kidnap victims. But FARC has to listen to European governments, since many leftist European politicians have provided FARCs main international support. That support is declining with the growing government success in destroying FARC.