August 5th:

During his TV and radio show "Aló, Presidente," President Hugo Chávez vowed to contribute to a humanitarian agreement to release dozen people kidnapped by the Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC), at the request of Colombian Senator Piedad Córdoba.

August 30th:

French President Nicolás Sarkozy made Chávez a telephone call and told him he would contact Colombian President Álvaro Uribe to discuss the arrangements for the hostages' release.

Chávez pardoned 41 Colombian paramilitaries imprisoned in Venezuela since 2004 and charged with military rebellion.

August 31st:

Chávez arrived in Bogotá to meet with Uribe and address the swap issue. Chávez disclosed that, as agreed with Uribe, he would meet in Caracas with a FARC envoy.

September 1st:

Sarkozy asked Chávez to request from FARC a proof of life of Colombian ex presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt.

September 15th:

Uribe refused Chávez's request to meet with FARC kingpin Manuel Marulanda in South Colombia.

September 18th:

FARC proposed Chávez a meeting in Colombian with their top leader Manuel Marulanda, alias Tirofijo. In a letter sent to Chávez, the guerrillas alleged that a demilitarized area was "indispensable" for a humanitarian swap.

September 21st:

Chávez said that Uribe and Marulanda had the ultimate decision.

September 24th:

Sarkozy advised at the United Nations (UN) that Chávez would visit France in November to talk about a humanitarian swap.

September 26th:

Chávez suggested that the US government could help reach an agreement in Colombia to exchange hostages for imprisoned rebels.

October 2nd:

The US and Venezuelan government held the first high-ranking diplomatic meeting for more than one year and dealt with Chávez's mediation for a potential humanitarian swap.

November 4th:

Chávez announced that representatives of the FARC secretariat (central command) were in Venezuela "as safe as houses."

November 6th:

Chávez affirmed that FARC chief Manuel Marulanda had ordered to take a proof of life of former candidate for Colombian president held by the guerrillas Ingrid Betancourt, a Colombian-French citizen.

November 7th:

Chávez advised that he had met with the FARC secretariat delegates.

November 8th:

Chávez said at the Miraflores presidential palace, during a meeting with FARC commander Iván Márquez and Senator Córdoba that he expected to take to Paris Betancourt's proof of life on November 20th.

November 18th:

Chávez said in Riyadh, in the context of the summit of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), that he was "certain" that Betancourt was alive, but acknowledged he had no proof available.

November 19th: 

Uribe authorized Chávez to meet with Marulanda, but on special conditions, as reported by Chávez on arriving in Paris.

November 20th:

Chávez said in Paris that if FARC were to release a first group of hostages, a round table would be organized and Uribe would join it subsequently, in the event of freeing all the hostages.

The Colombian government set December 31st as the deadline for Chávez's mediation.

Marulanda promised to provide "by the end of the year" a proof of life of Betancourt, said Chávez during a luncheon with Sarkozy.

November 22nd:

Uribe terminated Chávez's mediation for an exchange of people kidnapped by FARC for imprisoned rebels, by alleging an improper action by the Venezuelan ruler.

Sarkozy asked Uribe to "keep the dialogue" with Chávez for the swap purposes.

Source: AFP