Betancourt gets French honour
2008-07-14 16:09
Paris - Former hostage Ingrid Betancourt was named on Monday a Knight of the Legion of Honour by French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
Sarkozy decided to grant this honour to the Franco-Colombian Betancourt a few days after she and 14 other hostages were liberated from the hands of the Colombian rebel group FARC on July 2.
He was expected to formally bestow the honour on Betancourt at the annual Bastille Day garden party at the Elysee Palace on Monday afternoon.
Among other civilians decorated on the French national holiday was French actor Jean Reno, who co-starred in the blockbuster film The Da Vinci Code. He was made an Officer of the Legion of Honour.
The Legion of Honour is France's highest award, and was created by Napoleon Bonaparte. The order consists of five ranks, of which the Knight is the lowest, followed by the Officer.
- Sapa-dpa
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