Jeremy McDermott
BBC News, Bogota
Colombia is preparing for what is expected to French top honour for Betancourt ...
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Millions are expected to turn out, not just in Colombia but across the world, to call for an end to kidnapping and for peace.
Ingrid Betancourt, the French-Colombian hostage freed in a daring military rescue earlier this month, will lead protests in Paris.
The question is whether the rebels of the Farc group are going to listen.
There will be marches in most of Colombia's more than 1,000 municipalities and at least 40 cities around the world.
The biggest demonstration will be in Bogota, where people will walk along six different routes around the Colombian capital.
'Impervious'
A previous demonstration in February this year saw almost a million people take to the streets in Bogota alone.
Now, after the successful rescue of 15 hostages earlier this month from the Farc (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia), the best-known of whom was Ms Betancourt, the turnout is expected to be even greater, with concerts and events being held not just in Colombia, but Paris as well.
The Farc appear to be impervious to cries for an end to kidnapping, let alone an end to the 44-year civil conflict.
Earlier this week, they kidnapped 10 people travelling down the Atrato River in the western province of Choco.
While being badly hit by US-backed government offensives and a series of recent disasters, there has been no softening of their position.
Yet even the Farc will have to pay attention to not just millions of Colombians but cries from around the world to end the kidnapping and violence.
(BBC)
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