(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-04-01 10:28

RIO DE JANEIRO - High-profile FARC hostage Ingrid Betancourt's husband, Juan Carlos Lecompte, has appealed to the Brazilian president to intervene in negotiations to free his wife.

French-Colombian citizen Betancourt was kidnapped by Colombia's largest rebel group Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC) on February 23, 2002, while running for president of Colombia.

In an interview with Brazilian television, Lecompte described the current situation as "a critical moment" for mediation by Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

"This is a critical moment for Lula's intervention," Lecompte said. "What Lula can say to his Colombian counterpart, Alvaro Uribe, is very powerful. Brazil is a Latin American power. I think he can do more. This is an emergency situation."

It was reported last week that Betancourt is gravely ill with hepatitis B and leishmaniasis.

France has stationed a plane in nearby French Guyana for any possible rescue and the French government has reiterated that it will support any attempt for a humanitarian solution.

Uribe said Saturday that his government is willing to free jailed FARC rebels in exchange for the release of hostages.