SCREENPLAYS ARE almost certainly being written about the bold rescue of Ingrid Betancourt, the Colombian presidential candidate who was freed Wednesday after being held hostage for six years by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, the left-wing insurgency group known as FARC.
To save Betancourt and 14 other hostages, Colombian commandos posing as rebels herded the prisoners onto a helicopter, purportedly to move them to a new location. Once they were in the air, the hostages learned the truth: They were free.
The rescue has generated international joy and relief. But celebrations can only be temporary. This is only one part of an ongoing, decades-long internal struggle. Colombia is beset by insurgency groups and the remains of rightist paramilitary groups. These groups rely on illegal drug trafficking for money and weapons. And while these 15 hostages are free, hundreds more remain in captivity.
There has been progress. FARC has been weakened by the loss of key leaders who have died or been killed in military strikes. And over time, tens of thousands of paramilitary members have disarmed.
Still, Human Rights Watch points to illicit alliances between the Colombian military and the paramilitary, and between the paramilitary and political leaders. Members of the Legislature face corruption charges. And President Álvaro Uribe's supporters want to change the Constitution so that he can run for a third term - a worrisome power grab.
No one rescue mission could possibly solve all these problems. But global players can help. Last month, President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela surprised many by calling FARC's battle "history" and advising the group to stop fighting and free its hostages. The United States, which has been working with the Uribe government, should more aggressively address corruption and human rights abuses. In Colombia, the national rescue mission isn't over yet.
