Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez publicly proposed on Wednesday sending helicopters from several nations to pick up the three people scheduled for release by Colombia's largest guerrilla group FARC.
Chavez said that several aircraft, including helicopters painted with Red Cross symbols, are ready to leave from the Venezuelan border and land "at some place" in Colombia, possibly Villavicencio.
"Let's hope that in the next few hours the freeing of Clara Rojas, Consuelo Gonzalez and the child Emmanuel will be made reality," Chavez told reporters. If so, they will spend New Year with their families, he added.
France, Argentina, Cuba, Ecuador, Bolivia, Brazil and Venezuela will each send envoys aboard the aircraft. Chavez said the following names had already been confirmed: Ecuadorian former interior minister Gustavo Larrea and Marco Aurelio Garcia, foreign policy advisor to Brazil's president.
The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia said in a Dec. 9 statement that they seek to release Gonzalez, a former legislator; Rojas, a former vice-presidential candidate; and Emmanuel, her son born in captivity, to Chavez or someone of his choice.
Chavez acted as mediator between the Colombian government and the FARC from mid-August until Nov. 21.
On Wednesday, Chavez said that the hostages could either be transferred to Venezuela or Ecuador, both Colombia's neighbors.
Chavez showed media a map of Colombia and Venezuela to explain the operation, to be called Operation Transparency, which will also be presented in a formal letter by the Venezuelan government to its Colombian counterpart. He also tacitly asked Colombia to suspend its military operations in the area.
"All we need is the Colombian government's authorization," Chavez said. "I wish the weather will allow us to carry out the operation without problems," he added.
The helicopters will leave the Colombian jungle on an unknown course, the president told media.
Chavez said he had also spoken to his French counterpart Nicolas Sarkozy about the release and about Ingrid Betancourt, France's chief interest in the hostage situation. Betancourt, who also has French citizenship, was kidnapped by the FARC in February2002 while campaigning for the Colombian presidency.
Chavez said he had also spoken with the presidents of Argentina, Ecuador, Bolivia and Brazil, and with Cuba's acting leader, Raul Castro, to get their backing for the operation.
"We do not want a clandestine rescue," Chavez said: a reference to publicly stated fears that Colombian government forces will attack guerrillas as they go to the handover zone.
FARC's Dec. 9 offer had said the handover of the three hostages were a compensation to Chavez for his work prior to his Nov. 21 sacking from his role as mediator by the Colombian government.
Source: Xinhua
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