Hostages freed after six years in Colombian jungle

Rebels freed two hostages in the remote Colombian jungle today after six years in captivity.

The rebels handed the women over to officials who flew them to Venezuela while their families and a triumphant Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who helped broker their release, waited in the capital Caracas.

The Caracas-based channel Telesure aired footage of the two smiling as they were released by rebels.

The release of Clara Rojas, an aide to former Colombian presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt, and former congresswoman Consuelo Gonzalez, was a major international triumph for Mr Chavez.

“President, a thousand thanks for your humanitarian gesture,” Ms Gonzalez told Mr Chavez on a satellite phone.

A triumphant Chavez told state television: “Long live Colombia! Long live Venezuela! ... Long live peace!”

The sensitive operation organised by Mr Chavez began after the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, sent him the coordinates to pick up the two women.

Colombia authorised two helicopters to participate in the rescue mission, hoping to reverse the embarrassing failure of a previous Chavez-brokered mission to free the hostages that fell apart on December 31.