Colombia starts rebel release to seek hostage deal

[maddezmom]

Source: Reuters

BOGOTA, June 1 (Reuters) - Colombia took steps to free jailed rebel fighters on Friday, hoping to persuade guerrilla commanders to hand over hostages they have held for years, including a French-Colombian politician and three Americans.

President Alvaro Uribe, a Washington ally, has said he will free several hundred guerrillas as an act of good faith he hopes will convince rebel commanders to liberate around 60 key hostages, some of whom have been held for more than five years in secret jungle camps.

Dual French-Colombian citizen Ingrid Betancourt was snatched in 2002 while campaigning for the presidency and the three U.S. citizens were captured when their light aircraft crashed in the jungle during an anti-drug mission.

The hostage issue is sensitive in Colombia, where violence has dropped sharply under Uribe even though the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, rebel force is still fighting Latin America's longest-running insurgency.

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