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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Colombia hostage mission begins | Colombia hostage mission begins |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Two Venezuelan helicopters have taken off on a mission to collect four hostages who left-wing Colombian Farc rebels have promised to free. | |
| Local media said the helicopters had left Venezuela en route to Colombia at 0725 local time (1155 GMT). | Local media said the helicopters had left Venezuela en route to Colombia at 0725 local time (1155 GMT). |
| The four former members of Colombia's congress are among some 40 high profile hostages held for years by the Farc. | |
| Last month, two women were freed as part of a deal brokered by Venezuela, raising hopes of more hostage releases. | Last month, two women were freed as part of a deal brokered by Venezuela, raising hopes of more hostage releases. |
| The rebels said last month that they would release the four captives as a result of mediation efforts by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. | The rebels said last month that they would release the four captives as a result of mediation efforts by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. |
| The hostages are Luis Eladio Perez, Gloria Polanco, Orlando Beltran and Jorge Gechem. | |
| The Colombian rebels have told the Venezuelan government where to collect the four, Interior Minister Ramon Rodriguez said earlier. | |
| Firm stance | Firm stance |
| Two Venezuelan helicopters took off from the border town of Santo Domingo, said Yves Heller, a spokesman for the International Committee of the Red Cross in Bogota. | |
| The helicopters, bearing the Red Cross insignia, were headed for the southern Colombian town of San Jose de Guaviare, he said. | |
| COLOMBIAN HOSTAGES Gloria Polanco: Former congresswoman, 42, kidnapped in 2001Luis Eladio Perez: Former senator, 50, kidnapped in 2001Orlando Beltran: Former congressman, 50, kidnapped in 2001Jorge Gechem: Former congressman, 57, kidnapped in 2002 | |
| From there, the helicopters are to take off again for an unidentified location in the Colombian jungles for the handover. | |
| Ties between Colombia and Venezuela have been strained in recent months. | Ties between Colombia and Venezuela have been strained in recent months. |
| But last month, Mr Chavez helped broker a deal to free two hostages, Clara Rojas and Consuelo Gonzalez, who were picked up by Venezuelan helicopters from Colombian territory and flown on to Caracas to be reunited with their waiting families. | |
| If this second release takes place, it will raise hopes that more hostages might be freed, among them French-Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt and three US defence contractors. | |
| The rebels have long wanted to exchange their high-profile hostages for hundreds of jailed guerrillas. | The rebels have long wanted to exchange their high-profile hostages for hundreds of jailed guerrillas. |
| Colombian President Alvaro Uribe has maintained a firm stance against the Farc, which is regarded as a terrorist group by the US and the European Union. | Colombian President Alvaro Uribe has maintained a firm stance against the Farc, which is regarded as a terrorist group by the US and the European Union. |
| Farc rebels are also thought to be holding several hundred other hostages, many of whom were taken for ransom to help fund rebel operations. | Farc rebels are also thought to be holding several hundred other hostages, many of whom were taken for ransom to help fund rebel operations. |