Chavez is brokering a deal with Colombian guerrillas to release American prisoners

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=39106

COLOMBIA: Chávez Brokers Pact for Gov’t-FARC Talks
By Constanza Vieira

HATO GRANDE, Colombia, Aug 31 (IPS) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez’s efforts to broker a humanitarian agreement for the release of hostages held by Colombia’s guerrillas have already begun to bear fruit.

The main announcement after Chávez’s meeting with Colombian President Álvaro Uribe Friday was that talks on an agreement will begin in Caracas between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

"That has already been agreed by the two sides," a source close to the meeting told IPS.

On Thursday night, Uribe accepted Chávez’s proposal for talks in Caracas, which the FARC had already agreed to.

The talks will be "exclusively on the question of the humanitarian accord" which would involve a swap of 10 civilian hostages, like former senator Ingrid Betancourt, three U.S. military contractors working for the U.S.-financed counterinsurgency Plan Colombia, and 34 members of the police and military captured in combat by the FARC, for around 400 imprisoned insurgents.

"If that goes well, the mechanism will remain in place" for future peace talks, added the source.

[Liberal_in_LA]

1. A former Senator is being held hostage? news to me.

[Subdivisions]

2. Ingrid Betancourt is a former Colombian senator ...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ingrid_Betancourt

[otherlander]

3. Delete

Texas_Explorer just posted the same thing as me.