An operation to rescue in Colombia four hostages held by the Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC) began Wednesday at 7:25 am (local time), with two choppers taking off from Santo Domingo Airport, in southwestern Táchira state.
 
The helicopters bearing the logo of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) are to pick up former lawmakers Gloria Polanco de Lozada and Orlando Beltrán Cuéllar, and former senators Luis Eladio Pérez and Jorge Géchem at some place between the Colombian rural towns of Guaviare and El Retorno, and take them to Venezuela.

Colombian opposition senator Piedad Córdoba and Venezuelan Interior Minister Ramón Rodríguez Chacín -who is the coordinator of the operation-, as well as medical staff, are on board the choppers, AFP reported.

General Mario Montoya, commander of the Colombian Army, told reporters in Bogota that the estimated flight time from Santo Domingo to San José del Guaviare, in Guaviare Department, some 280 kilometers southeast Bogota, was 90 minutes.

In San José del Guaviare, the choppers are to refuel and take off to the location the FARC has established to deliver the hostages.

Montoya estimated that around noon the aircraft would be departing from that location in the Colombian jungle back to Venezuela, carrying the four former Colombian politicians.

On Tuesday, Colombian Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos said flights over San José del Guaviare would be restricted to allow free transit of the Venezuelan helicopters taking part in the humanitarian mission.

The relatives of the four hostages to be released on Wednesday are in Caracas, waiting for their family members.