C ▁commander ▁César ▁and ▁an ▁additional ▁re bel ▁board ed ▁the ▁hel ic op ters ▁along ▁with ▁the ▁host ages . ▁ ▁They ▁were ▁persu aded ▁to ▁hand ▁over ▁their ▁p ist ols ▁and ▁were ▁sub du ed ▁in ▁the ▁air ▁by ▁Colomb ian ▁forces . ▁Bet anc ourt ▁later ▁told ▁a ▁press ▁conference ▁she ▁at ▁first ▁had ▁had ▁no ▁idea ▁she ▁was ▁being ▁res cu ed ▁until ▁she ▁saw ▁her ▁capt or ▁n aked ▁and ▁blind fold ed ▁on ▁the ▁floor ▁of ▁the ▁aircraft . ▁She ▁and ▁the ▁others ▁were ▁told : ▁" S om os ▁el ▁Ej ército ▁Nacional . ▁¡ U st edes ▁están ▁en ▁libert ad !" ▁( We ▁are ▁the ▁national ▁army . ▁You ▁are ▁free ). ▁ ▁In ▁case ▁of ▁failure , ▁Colombia ▁had ▁prepared ▁an ▁arm ada ▁of ▁ 3 9 ▁hel ic op ters ▁to ▁fer ry ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁troops ▁plus ▁U . S . ▁advis ors . ▁ ▁They ▁would ▁have ▁been ▁brought ▁within ▁a ▁half - mile ▁of ▁the ▁original ▁landing ▁zone ▁in ▁under ▁ 1 5 ▁minutes . ▁ ▁After math ▁ ▁Im medi ately ▁after ▁the ▁host age ▁rescue ▁El ▁Es pect ador ▁commission ed ▁an ▁I ps os - N ap ole on ▁Franco ▁poll , ▁which ▁found ▁that ▁President ▁Uri be ' s ▁popular ity ▁had ▁jump ed ▁from ▁ 7 3 % ▁to ▁ 9 1 %, ▁while ▁ 7 9 % ▁( pre viously ▁ 6 9 %) ▁of ▁those ▁pol led ▁stated ▁that