Venezuela May Begin FARC Hostage Rescue today

[Judi Lynn]

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Venezuela May Begin FARC Hostage Rescue today

Venezuela has said it is ready to recover four hostages held by Colombian rebels, in the second release deal brokered by the government of Hugo Chavez this year.

The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc) have given Venezuela coordinates of the hostages' location, Ramon Rodriguez, the interior minister, said on Monday.

"We have faith that will immediately be authorised," he told reporters.
"We could do it Wednesday with authorisation . We have the ability to go and come back the same afternoon."

The four hostages are former legislators who are part of a group of 43 captives whom the Farc want to swap with the Colombian government for 500 of its fighters held in prison.

More:
http://www.mercopress.com/vernoticia.do?id=12742&formato=HTML

[Judi Lynn]

1. Venezuelan helicopters fly to Colombia to pick up hostages

Venezuelan helicopters fly to Colombia to pick up hostages
The Associated Press
Published: February 27, 2008

BOGOTA, Colombia: Venezuelan helicopters will leave Wednesday morning to fly to Colombia's jungle to pick up four rebel-held hostages who have spent more than six years of captivity, a Red Cross official said.

Two Venezuelan aircraft marked with the Red Cross logo will travel to the southern Colombian city of San Jose del Guaviare, Barbara Hintermann, head of operations in Colombia for the International Committee of the Red Cross, said Tuesday.

"We will leave from San Jose de Guaviare to an unidentified spot and there will be the handover of the four people," she said following a meeting with Colombia's minister of defense and the head of the armed forces.

Defense minister Juan Manuel Santos said that the helicopters were scheduled to leave Santo Domingo, Venezuela at around 6 a.m. (1100 GMT). Hintermann said that the Colombian government had given the Red Cross security guarantees to go forward with the mission.

More:
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/02/27/america/LA-GEN-Venezuela-Colombia-Hostages.php