Ingrid Betancourt arrived in France to a presidential welcome Friday, two days after being rescued from rebels in the Colombian jungle.
The former Colombian presidential candidate, who also holds French citizenship, landed Friday afternoon at an air base outside Paris.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy, along with his wife Carla Bruni, greeted Betancourt and her family on the tarmac.
"It's a very, very moving moment for me: breathing the air of France, being with you," Betancourt told supporters and reporters gathered on the tarmac. "France is my home and you are my family."
Betancourt was born in Colombia but raised in Paris, and was once married to a French diplomat.
Sarkozy had made Betancourt's release a major priority for his government.
He said Friday her rescue proves "it's worth it to fight."
"All those who suffer, like you, throughout the world should know that... there is a light at the end of the tunnel," he said in greeting her.
"You are free, radiant, with your life ahead of you and surrounded by your family."
According to reports, France -- unlike the U.S. -- was kept in the dark about the whole rescue mission until after Betancourt was freed.
Sarkozy's rival, Socialist politician Segolene Royal, warned the French leader not to use the situation for political gain.
"Everyone knows that this well-executed Colombian operation proves that negotiations with the FARC (the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) were useless and fruitless," Royal told Reuters on a visit to Canada Thursday.
"Any controversy or political gain would be totally out of place because Nicolas Sarkozy had absolutely nothing to do with her liberation."
On Saturday, Betancourt is expected to undergo medical exams at Val-de-Grace military hospital in Paris. The chief doctor in Sarkozy's office, Christophe Fernandez, has already given her a preliminary medical exam.
Betancourt, who may suffer from a form of Hepatitis, says she suffered from various illnesses while held captive in the Colombian jungle.
Rescue mission
Betancourt, abducted in 2002 by FARC, was rescued by Colombian commandos on Wednesday. Three Americans were also freed, along with Perez and 10 other Colombian hostages.
Colombian commandos freed the hostages without firing a single shot in an elaborately planned helicopter rescue.
The commandos tricked FARC members into releasing the captives, according to Defence Minister Juan Manuel Santos.
The group infiltrated the rebels and told a local commander in charge of the hostages they would take him to the top FARC leader, Alfonso Cano.
Instead, the commandos whisked the hostages away in helicopters and peacefully captured the rebels.
Gilles Cavin, founder of the Betancourt Canadian Support Committee, said her release was "a big surprise."
"We were so happy," Cavin told CTV's Canada AM on Friday. "It was a shock to us."
Still, Cavin said he was concerned because FARC is still holding dozens of other hostages.
"Right now we are wondering what's going to happen to them," he said.
At a later press conference Friday, Betancourt asked Sarkozy to again go to Colombia to pressure President Alvaro Uribe to help free other hostages.
She also said France could play a significant role in negotiations.
"Because of what's happened FARC are no longer communicating, neither with Chavez, or Uribe, or anybody else," she said.
"Perhaps a small door will be opened for the French delegates to go and contact and talk to them."
Betancourt also asked that the hostages she was held with be allowed to come to France to study.
FARC has tried to overthrow the Colombian government for more than 40 years. The group's leader, Manuel Marulanda, died last March.
With files from The Associated Press
