The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said Wednesday that Venezuela had sent two helicopters to airlift four hostages to be freed by Colombian rebels.
In the morning, the helicopters were heading for an unidentified spot in Colombia for the pickup mission, ICRC spokesman Ives Heller in Bogota said.
The world health organization announced Tuesday that two Venezuelan helicopters would fly to Colombia's jungle to receive the four rebel-held hostages.
The ICRC's Colombian representative Barbara Hinterman said the mission would involve its staff members and Venezuelan doctors.
Hinterman told the media earlier that the ICRC was coordinating the mission with the governments of Venezuela and Colombia.
She also said the Colombian government had guaranteed the safety of the teams during the hostage handover.
All of the four hostages are former Colombian legislators, who have been held by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) for more than six years.
Their release would be the second this year by the rebel group.
On Jan. 10, under the mediation of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, FARC released two female hostages.
The FARC is reportedly holding 700 hostages. In 2007, it proposed to free 45 high-profile hostages in return for the release of its 500 members imprisoned by the Colombian government.
The Colombian government refused the proposal, saying it would undermine the country's security and encourage FARC rebels to kidnap more people.
Source: Xinhua
|
Comment
Tell A Friend
Print Format
Save Article