Colombian brings news of hostages

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A Colombian woman freed after more than six years in guerrilla captivity has returned home, bringing proof of life of eight other fellow kidnap victims.

Consuelo Gonzalez was released last week together with another hostage, Clara Rojas, after Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez secured a deal with rebels.

But in a sign of Colombia's continuing kidnapping problem, six tourists were seized on Sunday, officials said.

Farc rebels are believed to be holding some 750 people.

Ms Gonzalez, a former congresswoman who was taken hostage in 2001 by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), returned to the Colombian capital, Bogota, on Monday.

She and Ms Rojas had been flown out of the Colombian jungle and on to Venezuela last Thursday.

For some families it was the first news for several years

"I am intensely happy to return to my country free," Ms Gonzalez said on her arrival.

"I bring a message of love from my friends who remain captive in the jungle. A message of hope, faith and confidence. A message that will help us gather all the country's forces to reach a common strategy for the release of the hostages."

She immediately went to meet relatives of eight hostages, handing over letters, notes and photographs.

Health worries

Some families did not wish to reveal the contents, preferring to read the letters in private.

But others spoke of both their relief and concern at receiving news of their loved ones.

"He talks about his health, which is not good, which worries us, but there are also words of encouragement," said Claudia Rugeles of her husband, former state governor Alan Jara, who was kidnapped in July 2001.

Families are determined to keep attention on the hostages' plight

Lucy Gechem, daughter of former congressman Luis Eduardo Gechem, said her father begged in his letter not to be left to die in the jungle.

Some of the notes recounted how the rebels allowed the hostages to listen to football matches on the radio but relatives said some of the photos showed the hostages in chains.

New hostages

Amid the good news of the release of Ms Gonzalez and Ms Rojas, Colombian officials said on Monday that a group of six tourists had been kidnapped.

The six, five Colombians and a man with dual Colombian-Norwegian nationality, were seized on Sunday when suspected Farc rebels intercepted their boat in Choco province, a jungle region on the Pacific coast, navy officials said.

The BBC's Jeremy McDermott in Colombia says the Farc has been put onto the defensive by Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, who has pursued a tough line against the guerrillas.

He adds that the Farc are keen to show that they are anything but a spent force and that this kidnapping may be a sign of things to come.

The Farc has said 2008 will see an upsurge in guerrilla operations

President Hugo Chavez, who helped broker the release, has called on the Farc to stop taking hostages as part of their opposition to the Colombian government.

But he has also called for Colombia's rebel groups not to be classified as terrorists.

The Farc and the smaller guerrilla group, the National Liberation Army (ELN) are both listed as terrorist organisations by the US and the European Union.

Speaking on Monday, Mr Uribe said rebels were terrorists because they "kidnap, recruit and mistreat minors, attack pregnant women, old people ... bomb civilians, traffic drugs".

At the moment when the Farc showed their good faith and readiness to negotiate peace, "the Colombian government will be the first to stop calling them terrorists and the first to call on the world to do so," he said.