BOGOTA - NEWLY freed Colombian hostage Ingrid Betancourt faced on Monday new appeals that she run for president of her country, while others called for her to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

An opinion poll conducted by the National Consulting Centre, published in Semana magazine, found that 31 per cent of Colombians said they would vote for Betancourt were she to seek the presidency in 2010, putting her near the top of a short list of possible presidential contender.

The 46-year-old ran for Colombian president in 2002 and it was while she was out on the campaign trail that she was taken hostage by rebels of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

When asked by Semana magazine about her political plans now, Ms Betancourt demurred.

'I have come to the conclusion that I probably will return to politics, because it is my destiny, but I'm not going to speak about that now,' she said in an interview.

'I'm thinking about the greatness and the generosity of my children, and my family, and for now that will be my priority,' said Ms Betancourt, who is currently with family members in France, which had pressed hard for her release.

President Nicolas Sarkozy has invited Ms Betancourt, who also has French nationality, to attend Bastille Day celebrations on July 14, when he is expected to personally award her the Legion of Honour, France's highest distinction, according to an Elysee source and her support committee.

Other leaders have talked of seeking more honours for her. Chilean President Michelle Bachelet was among those calling on Sunday for Ms Betancourt to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

'I will immediately begin vigorously pushing her candidacy for the Nobel Peace Prize,' President Bachelet told the La Nacion daily newspaper, adding that she also would invite Betancourt to Chile 'in the future, when things have calmed down and when this enormous world attention' is over.

Last week, an Italian lawmaker made a similar call, saying Betancourt would be a natural choice for the prestigious award.

'Ingrid Betancourt is a symbol of strength and hope for everyone, all around the world, above all for those who have suffered injustice,' said lawmaker Fabio Evangelisti of the Italy of Values (IdV) party.

Ms Betancourt said in an interview published in France on Sunday that she planned to 'return to Colombia in a few days' and would write a play about her hostage ordeal.

Meanwhile, a television company said Ms Betancourt's daring rescue by Colombian army elite forces will be made into a movie by a Colombian director and a Hollywood production company.

Even more popular than Ms Betancourt among potential voters is Colombia's current president, Alvaro Uribe, who was a chief architect of Wednesday's risky rescue mission.

President Uribe enjoys 91 per cent popularity after the army's successful rescue mission, according to opinion polls here.

Meanwhile the three Americans freed in the rescue operation, issued a July 4th Independence Day statement: 'Words alone can never possibly express the thrill and excitement we feel to be back home in the United States of America with our families at our side.' 'We're just overwhelmed with emotion. The love and the joy we're all experiencing is beyond description,' the three men, Mr Marc Gonsalves, Mr Keith Stansell and Mr Thomas Howes, said in a joint statement disseminated by their employer, aerospace company Northrop Grumman.