LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira on Thursday hailed the rescue of Ingrid Betancourt and 14 other hostages from Marxist rebels as a "historic day" for the country.

The 31-year-old Grammy-winner, famed for her hit single "Hips Don't Lie," said the hostages' dramatic jungle rescue had restored Colombians' faith in the country's armed forces and institutions.

"This is a historic day for all, for our country that has undergone so much. Today we cry tears of emotion and joy and we can look to a future with that hope that peace will arrive," Shakira said in a statement.

"Ingrid is a symbol of the suffering of all those who have been robbed of their freedom," Shakira added.

"This has renewed our faith in democracy, our institutions, our own forces."

Colombian-French politician Betancourt, who was abducted by rebels in 2002 while campaigning for the presidency, was on Thursday reunited with her children in Bogota following her rescue.

Source: AFP