Freed French reporter flies back to Paris with letter for Francois Hollande "It's the first time they're apologising," Mr Langlois said of the rebels. I have the impression the FARC want peace but not just any. Founded in 1964, the FARC is the oldest and largest leftist guerrilla group in the country with some 9,200 fighters. The last French national held by the FARC was Ingrid Betancourt, a former Colombian senator with dual nationality and presidential candidate. She was abducted during her presidential campaign in February 2002, along with her assistant, Clara Rojas. Betancourt and 14 other hostages, including three US military contractors, were freed in a daring Colombian military operation in July 2008. Over the past year the group has increased attacks on Colombian security forces in remote parts of the country. The FARC said in February it was renouncing the practice of kidnappings for ransom. Recalling his time in captivity, Mr Langlois, who received a superficial bullet wound in the arm, said he "thought a lot about" Betancourt's ordeal. How could I not have thought about Ingrid's drama in difficult moments? Mr Langlois told AFP. Of course I thought about it, very much so. Mr Langlois, who has reported from Colombia for a decade, also recounted the horrors of his capture. "Seeing them arrive was terrifying," Mr Langlois said of his kidnappers, adding that he shouted "don't shoot!" and tried to alert them that he was an unarmed civilian. I told myself: as long as they don't kill me on the spot. While he was being held, Mr Langlois said he was never chained - unlike other hostages, like Betancourt, who tell stories of being chained in groups or to trees. On Wednesday Mr Langlois said the rebels treated him like a guest. "I knew they were going to release me but I thought they would do it quickly in two, three days," he said.