The former Colombian presidential candidate is reported to be seriously ill The French humanitarian mission sent to Colombia to try to secure to release of the hostage Ingrid Betancourt is being withdrawn from the country. Colombia's Farc rebels said they would not allow emergency medical aid to be delivered to the kidnapped politician. The mission was "not acceptable" and was launched without the guerrillas' agreement, a Farc statement said. France, Spain and Switzerland, which were jointly behind the mission, said it was "no longer justifiable". "It will therefore leave Colombia soon," the three countries said in a statement. French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner will travel to the region "soon" to discuss the situation, an official statement said. President Nicolas Sarkozy had announced the French mission after reports that Ms Betancourt, who holds dual French-Colombian citizenship, was seriously ill. She was kidnapped while campaigning for the Colombian presidency six years ago. Exchange demand "The French medical mission is not acceptable and much less so when it is not the result of a prior agreement," said a rebel statement, which was issued online by Farc's ruling secretariat. "We do not act under blackmail or under pressure from media campaigns," it added. The statement called on Colombia's government to establish a demilitarised zone where hostages could be swapped for jailed rebels. The French mission has been grounded outside Bogota since Thursday Farc wants to exchange 39 high-profile hostages for some 500 rebels currently in prison. Colombian President Alvaro Uribe has consistently rejected the request. However, his government has promised to suspend military operations against Farc in the area where many of its hostages are believed to be held. Ms Betancourt was pictured looking thin and frail in a recent video. France also offered to take in rebels released from prison in exchange for the 46-year-old, who has been held in the jungle since 2002. Farc - the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia - has been fighting the Colombian government for more than 40 years.
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Cristina Fernández, Astrid Betancourt, and Lorenzo Delloy march for the liberation of Íngrid Betancourt in Argentina on April 6, 2008.
France is recalling the mission it recently sent to Colombia in hopes of freeing Íngrid Betancourt, who is a hostage of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

"The French medical mission isn't appropriate and much less so when it's not the result of an agreement," a FARC statement said. "Ingrid Betancourt and soldiers and the jailed guerrillas would now have regained their freedom and it would be a victory for everyone," said the statement dated the day after the French team landed. The only condition would have been that Álvaro Uribe had agreed to a 45-day demilitarized zone, according to the statement.

President Nicolas Sarkozy's office said in a statement that he is "deeply disappointed" he was unable to save Betancourt, who holds both French and Colombian citizenships.

"He wants to assure our compatriot's family — as well as those of all the hostages — that his determination to win their liberation remains as strong as ever," the statement continued.

FARC has been seeking to exchange 39 high-profile hostages for some 500 rebels currently in Colombian prisons. Colombian President Álvaro Uribe has consistently rejected this trade. 

Recently, however, Colombia has promised to suspend military strikes against FARC in the regions where hostages are believed to be held.