BOGOTA, July 20: Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets on Sunday in Bogota and other world capitals seeking the release of captives still held by leftist rebels in the Colombian jungle.

Crowds were gathering in 1,000 towns and cities all across Colombia on the country’s national day, 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 support rallies for the hostages, but the main events were to be held later on Sunday in Latin America, with the highlight expected to be a concert in Colombia by pop star Shakira.

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 cause celebre.

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, and those of prisoners held by other rebel groups.

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 more than 100,000 people donned white shirts bearing slogans such as “Free them already,” “No more kidnappings” and “Peace for Colombia.” Organizers expected more than four million people to pour into the streets in towns and cities across Colombia.

Bogota’s socialist mayor, Samuel Moreno, told the crowd that “independence is not complete without freedom.” “This cry for liberty is being heard in Paris and throughout the world but also in the middle of the Colombian jungle.” Some of the 14 other hostages who were freed with Betancourt through a Colombian military operation were present here and in other cities.

Three US defence contractors liberated at the same time are back in the United States and are not participating.

Olga Lucia Gomez, head of the Free Country Foundation working for the captives’ release, said the rallies “are to demand not only the liberation of the rebels’ hostages, but also all those being held against their will by whoever they may be.” There are 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, the French, Israeli and US secret services were involved in the operation.

Earlier this month, a statement from FARC itself blamed the rescue of the hostages on the treachery of key members of the unit holding them.—AFP