2 hostages held by Colombian rebels express hope for freedom in videos sent to families

September 19th, 2009 Colombia extradites captured guerrilla to USBOGOTA — A captured leftist rebel who unwittingly helped officials rescue 15 hostages — including three American military contractors — was bundled aboard a plane to Florida on Saturday to face charges of terrorism in a U.S. federal court.

September 19th, 2009 Uribe changes tack on release of rebels' hostagesBOGOTA, Colombia — President Alvaro Uribe's government said Saturday it is dropping a demand that Colombia's main rebel group release all its police and military hostages at once, possibly opening the way for negotiations. Colombia's peace commissioner, Frank Pearl, said relatives of the hostages had met with Uribe and asked him to help secure their loved ones' freedom.

September 7th, 2009 Colombia releases new videos of 10 FARC hostagesBOGOTA — Authorities released "proof-of-life" videos Monday showing 10 soldiers and police officers held captive by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, for more than a decade. The footage shows the four military men and six officers sitting individually in front of a camouflage cloth on a makeshift hammock, restrained by chains padlocked around their necks.

July 29th, 2009 Colombian rebels deny funding Correa's campaignBOGOTA — Colombian's main rebel group denies it gave money to the 2006 campaign of Ecuador's President Rafael Correa — and says it has never contributed to any election campaign in a neighboring nation. The leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia also denounces "the gringo military invasion," referring to an imminent U.S.-Colombian accord to significantly expand Washington's military presence in Colombia.

July 26th, 2009 BOGOTA - At least 45 rebels of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) were killed Saturday in an aerial bombardment in Meta province, the Caracol radio station reported. The attack came as Colombian forces were hunting down Jorge Briceno, one of the leaders of the leftist rebel organisation.

July 25th, 2009 Colombian: 16 rebels, 1 soldier killed in fightingBOGOTA — The Colombian military says at least 16 suspected guerrillas and one soldier have been killed in clashes. Defense Minister Gen.

July 18th, 2009 BOGOTA - Thirteen leftist rebels were killed in fighting with the security forces in central Colombia, a media report said. The fighting between Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), the country's largest rebel group, and the security forces took place in the central Meta province Friday.

July 9th, 2009 Uribe to Colombian rebels: free all hostagesBOGOTA — Colombian President Alvaro Uribe says he will allow an opposition senator to accompany the release of hostages held by FARC rebels. But his office set a stiff condition: the leftist insurgents must release all 24 police and soldiers they are known to hold.

June 20th, 2009 Official: 2 hostages' bodies handed over in IraqLONDON — The bodies of two British hostages kidnapped in Iraq in 2007 have been handed over to U.K. officials, Foreign Secretary David Miliband said Saturday.

April 30th, 2009 BOGOTA - Eight Colombian soldiers have been killed in a clash with leftist rebels of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in the northeastern Perija mountains on the Venezuelan border. 'Unfortunately eight military officers died today in the province of La Guajira.

April 16th, 2009 BOGOTA - Colombia's leftist guerrilla rebels Thursday announced they would soon unilaterally release a soldier who has been in their captivity since December 1997. The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) said that Corporal Pablo Emilio Moncayo would be turned over to the Colombians for Peace organisation which is led by opposition Senator Piedad Cordoba.

February 5th, 2009 CALI - The leftist guerrillas of Colombia have released a former legislator they had taken hostage in 2002, the EFE news agency reported Friday. Sigifredo Lopez, a former regional legislator in the Valle del Cauca province, arrived in this southwestern city of Cali Thursday to a tumultuous welcome from family and friends.

February 3rd, 2009 VILLAVICENCIO - Leftist rebel guerrillas in Colombia have released a former provincial governor they had held hostage for more than seven years, EFE news agency reported Wednesday. Alan Jara, former governor of the central Colombian province of Meta, was brought to Villavicencio, a city near capital Bogota, in a Brazilian helicopter Tuesday hours after Yves Heller, spokesman of Red Cross Colombia, announced Jara's release.

January 30th, 2009 BOGOTA - Colombia's largest leftist rebel group will free from its captivity six hostages, including two politicians and security personnel, EFE reported. The hostages will be released in three stages, Colombia's Senator Piedad Cordoba said, adding that the four security personnel would be freed Sunday, while former governor Alan Jara and former lawmaker Sigifredo Lopez would be handed over Monday and Wednesday, respectively.

January 13th, 2009 BOGOTA - Two Colombian rebels have turned themselves in to the police along with two hostages they were guarding, in apparent response to government offers of rewards for turning themselves in, the authorities said. Two members of the leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) identified with the aliases 'Ernesto' and 'David' Tuesday fled a camp between the villages of Cubarral and Vistahermosa, in the central Colombian province of Meta.