Fabrice Delloye, the ex-husband of former hostage Ingrid Betancourt, will soon be named as France's new ambassador to Costa Rica, according to wire reports.

Delloye was married to French-Colombian politician Betancourt from 1981 to 1990 and has two children with her, Melanie and Lorenzo. He lobbied vigorously for Betancourt's release from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia (FARC), who held her hostage from 2002 to July of this year.

A career diplomat, Delloye has served as economic adviser for the French embassy in the Republic of Seychelles, a group of islands in the Indian Ocean, and as France's cultural representative to Peru.

One of Delloye's tasks will be to help find new educational options for families at the French-Costa Rican School in Tres Ríos, east of San José. France recently decided to withdraw funding from the school, leading to its possible closure at the end of 2009.

Delloye would replace Jean-Paul Monchau, who left Costa Rica last month after a three-year term.