Colombia halts military operations to facilitate hostage release

Colombia okays operation to rescue Clara Rojas and Consuelo González

An operation aimed at rescuing two women held by the Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC) began Thursday with the suspension of the Colombian government's military operations in the Colombian southeastern jungle, where the rebel group is supposed to deliver the hostages.

Military operations by the Colombian Armed Forces were halted at 6 am (11.00 GMT) and will be resumed at 4 pm (23 GMT), as agreed late Wednesday by Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos and high-ranking military officers.

The suspension came in a vast area stretching from San José del Guaviare, capital of Guaviare department, to the towns of El Retorno and Miraflores, in the same region.

Santos said the term for the suspension could be extended, "in the event that weather conditions or other circumstances may delay the operation."

Hostages Clara Rojas and Consuelo González are supposed to be rescued by two Venezuelan choppers bearing the logos of the Red Cross International Committee -the body that is leading the humanitarian operation, Efe reported.

Quick Access to:

On the Cover

IISS: The FARC financed Chávez before 1999

10:07 AM. DIPLOMACY. Admired by the Colombian guerrilla after his coup attempt in 1992, the then lieutenant colonel Hugo Chávez Frías received financial support by the Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC) for his projects after his capture that year. This mostly explains the relationship and "debt" between the parties, as revealed by a paper of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) of the United Kingdom.