Personal reason for president's fight

One man who will benefit from last week's hostage release is Colombian president Alvaro Uribe Velez, inset, who has been commended by US President George Bush and France's Nicolas Sarkozy for his relentless battle against the guerrillas.

But Uribe's tough stance on the paramilitaries isn't just a matter of politics – the president's father was gunned down by the Farc in 1983.

Since coming to office in 2002, Uribe has maintained a record of bringing senior rebels and drug traffickers to justice and has enjoyed an uninterrupted 70% approval rating.

However, the rebels have been less thankful and Uribe has survived several assassination attempts.

He is currently working to have Colombia's constitution changed in time for him to run for a third term in 2010.

Uribe, a lawyer by training who was educated at Harvard and Oxford, is the United States' top ally in South America.