Kidnapped politicians 'to be freed' in Columbia

Colombia’s largest guerrilla group is expected to release three captive politicians in the coming days or weeks, France’s foreign minister says.

The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, will probably free political leader Gloria Polanco, former senator Luis Eladio Perez, ex-congressman Orlando Beltran and possibly a fourth unnamed politician “within several days or weeks”, foreign minister Bernard Kouchner said he was told in a closed-door meeting with Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez yesterday.

The FARC first announced plans to release the ailing trio – who have been held captive for more than six years – in a January 31 communique, saying its decision stemmed from efforts by Mr Chavez and “other friendly governments” to help resolve Colombia’s decades-long armed conflict.

Mr Chavez has been trying to negotiate a hostages-for-prisoners swap with the rebels for months, but a spat erupted in November when Colombian president Alvaro Uribe accused him of overstepping his authority by directly contacting Colombia’s army chief.

Mr Chavez froze contacts with Mr Uribe but still sought to mediate with the FARC.

In late December, he attempted to broker the release of three hostages, leaving scores of reporters, celebrities and Venezuelan officials waiting for days in the jungle. Two women were freed on January 10 and a third hostage, a child, was found to no longer be in rebel hands.

The FARC wants to trade more than 40 high-value hostages – including former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt and three US defence contractors – for hundreds of imprisoned guerrillas.

It was not immediately clear if Mr Kouchner and Mr Chavez discussed the possible release of Ms Betancourt, who has dual French and Colombian citizenship.

Yesterday, the wife of kidnapped Colombian congressman Jorge Eduardo Gechem told Bogota’s Caracol radio that Colombian senator Piedad Cordoba had called to say her husband would be released “very soon”.