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Colombia hostage mission back on Colombia hostage mission back on
(about 2 hours later)
Colombia has agreed to a Venezuelan mission to secure the release of two high-profile hostages held by Colombia's Farc rebels. Colombia has authorised a renewed Venezuelan mission to secure the release of two high-profile hostages held by Colombia's Farc rebels.
Colombia will "provide necessary guarantees" to make sure the hostages return home, said Colombia's Peace Commissioner Luis Carlos Restrepo. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said the rebels had told him the location where the women would be handed over.
Mr Restrepo said the International Red Cross would oversee the mission. Two Venezuelan helicopters are set to fly to Colombia, with the International Red Cross overseeing the mission.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said the rebels had told him where the hostages were being held. A similar attempt last month was called off amid recriminations between the rebels and the Colombian government.
He said Venezuelan helicopters could pick up the hostages as early as Thursday morning.
The hostages are former Congresswoman Consuelo Gonzalez and Clara Rojas, an aide to former Colombian presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt.The hostages are former Congresswoman Consuelo Gonzalez and Clara Rojas, an aide to former Colombian presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt.
A mission to release the two hostages, plus the three-year-old son of Ms Rojas, failed less than two weeks ago. The Farc had promised to release them, plus Ms Rojas's three-year-old son, in December.
Farc accused the Colombian government of sabotaging the hostage release; but the government said the rebels backed out of the deal. The families of the hostages are again daring to hope
Colombia said DNA tests proved that the boy was actually living in a foster home in Bogota, and not being held captive in the jungle. But the mission failed when the Farc accused the Colombian government of sabotaging the hostage release by continuing military operations in the area.
The government countered, saying the rebels backed out of the deal because they no longer had the young child, Emmanuel.
Subsequent DNA tests on a boy living in a foster home in Bogota indicated that he was Emmanuel, a fact the rebels were forced to admit.
The failed handover damaged the rebels' credibility and was a huge embarrassment to President Chavez, who had sent a convoy of international representatives and journalists to oversee the promised release.
It now seems Mr Chavez has pressured the guerrillas to deliver the two hostages, says the BBC's Jeremy McDermott in Colombia.
On Wednesday, Mr Chavez said he had received the coordinates of the location where Ms Rojas and Ms Gonzalez would be handed over.
The Colombian government responded quickly, with the Peace Commissioner Luis Carlos Restrepo saying they would "provide all the necessary guarantees" to enable the hostages to return home as soon as possible.
High-profile
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said that it would be overseeing the new operation.
Defence Minister Juan Manuel Santos said he had ordered military operations to be suspended in the area where the hostages were expected to be freed.
"We are so, so happy to know that, God willing, tomorrow Clara and my mother will be free again after so much time," Ms Gonzalez's daughter, Patricia Perdomo, said on Wednesday.
Ms Gonzalez was kidnapped in 2001. Ms Rojas was seized in 2002, while she and Ms Betancourt were out campaigning.
Ms Betancourt, a French-Colombian citizen, is still in captivity.
She is one of some 45 high-profile hostages who are considered "exchangeable" and who it is thought that the rebels would release in return for the government freeing hundreds of jailed rebels.
It is believed the guerrillas hold about 750 hostages in total, some for political leverage but many for ransom.