Colombia revives European efforts over hostages
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Colombian President Alvaro Uribe authorized France, Spain and Switzerland on Saturday to revive their efforts to seek an accord with leftist rebels on releasing scores of hostages, including a French-Colombian politician and three Americans.
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France's President Nicolas Sarkozy met with Colombia's Alvaro Uribe on Monday to press for action to free hostages held by leftist rebels, including French-Colombian Ingrid Betancourt who has become a cause celebre in France.
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Efforts at freeing hostages held by Colombian rebels were stalled over the weekend after a guerrilla leader said he would not attend talks in neighboring Venezuela aimed at clinching a prisoner exchange.
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VILLAVICENCIO, Colombia  - A Venezuelan mission to pick up three hostages held for years by Colombian rebels in jungle camps was delayed again on Saturday because guerrilla leaders have not given the final go-ahead.
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The International Committee of the Red Cross said Saturday a mission is under way to recover the bodies of 11 former regional lawmakers killed this summer while held captive by Colombia's largest rebel group.
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Colombian President Alvaro Uribe said on Sunday he was "open for dialogue" with rebels holding scores of hostages in the jungle, after an offer by the Catholic Church to help create a safe haven for talks.
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Colombia's FARC rebels will release three more hostages, all former local lawmakers, to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez after he brokered the release of two captives last month, according to a rebel statement given to local Noticias Uno television on Saturday.
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SAN JOSE DEL GUAVIARE, Colombia  - With broad smiles and long hugs for mediators, two women hostages were freed on Thursday by Colombia's Marxist rebels after years in the jungle, raising hopes for others languishing in secret camps.
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Venezuela's leftist leader is now working to release the 45 hostages, including three Americans, held in Colombia.
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By Jason Webb BOGOTA, Colombia  - Colombia is proposing to meetwith Marxist rebels in a foreign embassy to negotiate therelease of 50 imprisoned guerrillas in exchange for 72 hostagesincluding three Americans.
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The government said Monday it would consider a demand from Colombia's main rebel group to hold face-to-face talks over swapping jailed insurgents for dozens of hostages, including three U.S. military contractors.
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Colombia's Roman Catholic clergy say they are in contact with Farc rebels in a bid to free more hostages.
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Colombian President Alvaro Uribe freed a jailed guerrilla leader on Monday to try to broker peace talks and negotiate the release of rebel-held hostages, including a French-Colombian politician and three Americans.
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SAN JOSE DEL GUAVIARE, Colombia, Jan 10 - Marxist rebels freed two women hostages from Colombia's jungle on Thursday in a deal brokered by Venezuela's leftist president, Hugo Chavez, that could mark a breakthrough in peace efforts.
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Colombia agreed Wednesday to allow Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to send his planes and helicopters into its territory to pick up three hostages who have been held for years by leftist rebels.
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BOGOTA, Colombia, Dec. 18 -- Colombian guerrillas said Tuesday that they would hand over three hostages to Venezuelan President Hugo ChÃÂ¿vez, including an aide to French-Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt.
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Colombia, locked in a 40-year war fueled by the drug trade, has made gains in restoring order and economic growth but needs more international help to secure