Farc Defector Starts New Life in France After Asylum Deal

A guerrilla hailed as a hero for helping a high-profile hostage escape captivity yesterday began a new life in France under an asylum deal from Nicolas Sarkozy to incite leftist rebels to surrender.

Wilson Bueno, 28, known as Isaza, rose to the rank of commander after serving 12 years with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or Farc. He staged a dramatic defection in October, trekking for three nights through the jungle carrying and dragging the congressman Oscar Tulio Lizcano, one of Farc's most important political hostages who had been held in solitary confinement for eight years.

In a move to weaken Farc by inciting more defections, Colombian authorities dropped rebellion charges against Bueno. Bogotá has also reportedly made $400,000 (£270,000) available in reward money.

Bueno is the first rebel to benefit from France's pledge last year to offer asylum to rebels who desert with hostages in tow if they fore swear armed combat and do not face charges in their home country. The pledge was part of Sarkozy's efforts to secure the freedom of the dual French national and former Colombian presidential candidate, Ingrid Betancourt, who was freed in July after six years in captivity.

Betancourt accompanied Isaza on a flight to Paris yesterday to thank France for its "generosity". With them was Isaza's girlfriend, Lilia Isabel Bañol, who deserted from Farc three months before Isaza. She will also be granted asylum.

"We hope it's a beautiful future," Isaza said before leaving Colombia, adding that he had little idea what life would be like in France. The couple were moved to a secret location in France yesterday. Betancourt told reporters: "For the moment, his family is me."

Isaza, who lost an eye during his time as a rebel, was persuaded by Lizcano, 62, to help him escape. For 72 hours they hid by day and trekked by night. Lizcano, who was so weakened by malaria and illness that the army patrol who found him thought he was drunk, said he had been kept alone and banned from talking to his guards for eight years. To keep himself sane, he would line up sticks in the ground and give them names as students before giving them three hours of "lessons" a day in a mock classroom scenario. He had access to the radio and wrote sonnets to his wife.

"We are recognizing the courage of someone who did not agree with the kidnapping of Mr Lizcano and facilitated his escape," the Colombian defence minister, Juan Manuel Santos, said before Isaza left. "This is an important message to send to the guerrillas and to the world."